The Beat of a Butterfly's Wings
by Bloodrain's tears
Summary: Kagome, an elementary teacher in Tokyo suddenly finds her life entwined with the life of one of Tokyo's most notorious businessmen when his daughter joins her class. A little story of how you can affect the people around you in ways that might not seem ob
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own or hold any claim to any of the characters created by Rumiko Takahashi. Please don't sue me. ( '-' )v

**Chapter One:** Unexpected Surprises

"I'm sorry Rin, but I can't let you skip going. I know that you don't want to go to your mother's but that's what the judge decided.,." I said wearily as she let out a mournful sigh.

"But why is the judge making me go," she asked, her small fists clenching. "We've already told him that I don't want to go."

"I know dear," I sighed, running a hand over my face as I continued trying to reason with my overly bright 5 year old. "The court feels that it is in your best interest to remain in contact with your mother and even though you and I have both said otherwise, they feel that you are far to young to know what is in your best interest."

"That's just – just," she sputtered angrily.

"Ridiculous? I know, but unfortunately for now we just have to live with it." I shook my head in frustration and then ran a hand through my hair. I was just as frustrated by the court's decision as Rin was. My ex-wife was a cold-hearted woman who no more liked children than cats like to jump into a tub of scalding water.

"Can't the lawyer do something?" she sighed.

"She's doing her best," I shrugged, " In the court's eyes a mother is the number one candidate for having the child. We're lucky that we even get to be together as much as we are…You could have been sent to her for the majority of the time instead of every other weekend. "

"I guess you're right…But I still don't like it," she grumbled crossing her small arms over her indignantly puffed up chest. If she hadn't been upset over such a serious thing I would have had the temptation to laugh at the sight she made, big brown eyes narrowed in a threatening scowl, little lips in a pout, and her little hands clenched into fists.

Trying to resist the urge to chuckle I instead reached out and mussed her hair growling gently, "If I didn't know any better Rin, I would say that you've been spending too much time with your Uncle Inuyasha." Her eyes grew wide and she dropped her hands to her sides.

"I what?"

"You look like your Uncle did when he was little," I chuckled. "Now you better go finish packing little one. I have to leave here by 7 today. Sorry," I gave her a gentle push on her little rear and only allowed myself to frown once she'd disappeared inside her room.

I really hated this situation with her mother; the only problem was that no judges that we went to would believe that I would be a good "all the time" parent due to my work. They believed my hours were too long and irregular and every single one of them firmly believed that Rin would turn into a psychologically skewed adult if she weren't given contact with her mother. They didn't seem to believe either her or I when we said that it was quite the opposite, that she would be psychologically damaged if she kept having contact with the harpy. I sighed and rubbed my temples trying to stop the headache that was beginning to blossom behind my eyes.

"

"

With a loud catlike yawn a young woman with the sweet face of innocence, lips as red as strawberries, and long silky hair the color of coal, rolled over on her side simultaneously throwing an arm out wildly past the edge of the bed. And of course by doing so, successfully achieved her objective: silencing that awful racket.

"Five more minutes, just five more minutes," she mumbled sleepily, shoving her head under the massive pillow as the large wind-up alarm clock crashed to the floor loudly. "Sooo tired…Ugh…"

The young woman wrapped in the tangled web of white sheets floated back into the land of dreaming with the ease of all those who can sleep until noon without batting an eye. Unfortunately it was not one those days where said people who also are a part of the working force of society are _allowed_ to sleep until noon. Sadly, for her this was not only a Monday morning, but also her first day at her new job in the city.

Fortunately for her, someone else knew about her difficulty waking up in the morning. The shrill ringing of the black cordless phone sitting on her nightstand yanked her rudely from dreamland.

"Uuh," she grunted as she lifted a leaden arm and with clumsy, sleep-numbed fingers gave her best effort to pick up the cursedly loud object, the shrill ringing making her head pound. Bringing the phone from the cradle to her ear she spoke without even opening here eyes. "Uh?"

"Kagome, g'mornin' sunshine. Wake-up," a ridiculously energetic voice called from the other end of the line.

"Huh?" she questioned intelligently.

"Sharp as ever, aren't you Kag. It's Monday. Time to get up," the female voice said firmly, barely concealed laughter bubbling up and begging for release.

"Why does…Huh?" Kagome mumbled, running a hand over her face as she tried to talk herself into prying her sleep crusted eyes open. But she wanted to just keep sleeping sooo badly…."Just five more minutes," she grumbled with a shake of her head.

"No. Not even five more seconds. If you don't get up and get ready _right now_ you are going to be late for your new job. Now get up you clod," the other girl finished with a good-natured laugh. "Come on Kagome, I'm on my cell _and_ driving, I can't stay on here forever and you really are going to be late if you don't move you butt. Pronto."

"Late?" she paused, her brow furrowing in deep concentration…_So hard to think in the morning…takes too much energy…but now that she's talking about something…"late" I feel like I'm forgetting something important…Oh shite! _"Job?! New job?!" she yelped, eyes snapping open to reveal deep blue orbs the color of the ocean on a sunny day. Sitting up with a jarring speed Kagome tried to leap from the bed, only to fall with a loud thump on the floor, her feet still caught in the twisted sheets. "Oh fudge," she muttered as she groped around the floor for the phone that had gone flying.

"Sango?" she questioned when she finally got it back up to her ear. The only sound that greeted her was a loud, braying laugh.

"What the _heck_ was that?" Sango giggled.

"Oh hush… It's Monday?" Kagome grumbled, voice still rough from sleepiness.

"Yes ma'am it is. Now get your little butt in gear."

"Right," Kagome said as she struggled with sheets that seemed to have a life of their own. "Thanks Sango, I owe you."

"Yeah, uh, how many times is that now?" Sango asked amused.

"I have no idea… A lot?" Kagome laughed. "See you tonight?"

"Yup, we'll be by at 7:30. Good luck on your first day!"

"Thanks, see you later then." With a loud beep Kagome hung up the phone and turned to look at the clock sitting on its side on the floor. Tilting her head to read it an expletive flew from her lips in shock. "I have _TEN _minutes to get ready?!"

"

"

"

It was Monday morning. The weekend with mother was over and I couldn't have been happier. The fact that I would be starting a new school today was nothing compared to the two weekends a month I had to spend with her.

Of course that didn't stop the butterflies in my stomach from moving around making me feel uncomfortable as I sat in the passenger seat while Dad drove me to school. _It'll be ok_, I told myself. _No need to worry, its just school. That's what Uncle said so…he must know what he's talking about._ I nearly had myself convinced that everything would be ok when my Dad put a hand on my head and mussed my hair. Looking up at him in question I saw him smiling, keeping his eyes on the road ahead.

"You'll be fine Rin," he said in that deep, smooth voice that could comfort me when nothing else seemed to work. Dad could beat anything. He could take care of anything.

"Thanks, Dad," I said smiling as he took his hand off my hair and grabbed my hand in his massive one.

"But you let me know if anything happens ok?" he asked in the voice that meant it was required, not a choice. _As if I wouldn't tell you_. I smiled and nodded as he watched from the corner of his vision.

The car slowed to a crawl as he began to park on the side of the street. I looked out the window at the massive buildings that filled downtown and then turned to look at my new school. A strange building, 3 stories high, and built from stones it didn't look very Japanese. It looked serious, and cold and it would have been a little scary if it hadn't looked so strange so close to downtown.

"Well, here we are," Dad said as he put the car into park. "Alright, let's you get you inside Rin," he smiled as he opened his door and stepped out into the street.

"Dad, why does this school look so…so weird?"

" It's an English design. I have no idea why though, " he said giving the gray stones a contemplative look. "It's supposed to be a very good school for gifted children… One of my employees recommended it to me," he added as he took my hand in his again after he came around the car and together we walked across the sidewalk, up the twenty steps and through the broad wooden doors, All the while the fluttering in my stomach increased to an irritating level.

"

"

"

Swerving into the small "Staff Only" parking lot next to the small private school I whipped into a space and came to a screeching halt. Looking in my rear-view mirror I saw a few parents and teachers look up startled and turn towards the sound as they walked to the school. "Smooth Kagome, real smooth." _Okay. Breath. You have three minutes to get into your class. You sped way too much, but you are here now._ "Safe," I breathed a sigh of relief, pulling the keys out of the ignition and grabbing my briefcase and lunch bag out of the passenger's seat.

Striding from my beat up car to the school as if _I_ hadn't been the one driving into the elementary school's parking lot like a bat out of hell. Head held high, I did my best to ignore the glares from some of the oldest teachers while I flashed my brightest, sunniest smile at the parents as they walked with their children toward the little school building with the British inspired architectural design. "Good morning," I said cheerfully as a father held open the front doors for me.

"_Good_ morning," he replied in a tone from behind me that made my toes curl. _Oh great we have a lech. Am I having a lucky morning or what?_ With a sigh I squared my shoulders and strode down the polished hallway, high heels clicking loudly, hips swaying. _Lecher! Remember Daddy Lecher!_ The little voice in my mind piped up causing me to pause momentarily mid-stride. Concentrating very hard then I attempted to walk with no swaying of the hips in high heels. Pretty much an impossible goal I decided after about four seconds. "Stupid lechers," I grumbled under my breath as I turned right at the next hallway. Stopping at the second door on my right I looked up at the room number. _Room 3A_ it read. "Ok" I breathed, and counting to ten grabbed the cold metal doorknob in my hand. At ten I turned the knob and strode through the door as if I had not just arrived at the school, a bat out of hell, two minutes ago. Walking to the desk, smiling pleasantly, I carefully set my briefcase down and put my lunch bag in the top drawer.

A classroom of 15 3rd graders stared back at me, various expressions flitting across their faces from friendly to sleepy to disinterested. _Thank God I don't teach High School,_ I thought for the hundredth time. _Not that I have a thing against high school kids, they just scare me that's all._ I shuddered as I remembered my time as a training teacher during college…. I still had nightmares about those kids.

"Good morning everyone, " I called out cheerfully as I pulled the textbook from my briefcase. "How is everyone doing today?" I asked and tried not to laugh outright at the responses I got. "Well you all seem to be bursting with enthusiasm," I smiled. "Alright, let's go ahead and get out our first textbook for the morning, Math. But before we get started I'm going to have you all introduce yourselves." Stepping to the chalkboard and picking up a piece of chalk I said, "I'll start first. My name is Kagome Higurashi. I'm from Nagoya but I just moved to Tokyo for this job. In short I hope that we can have a great year together!" I finished happily. It felt so good to be up here with all of these kids. I had always wanted to be a teacher ever since I could remember. And here I was. In Tokyo, teaching at a prestigious, upper-class school. I was going to help in the long process of forming these children into successful adults. What could be a more rewarding job than that?

"Alright," I said as I looked for my first target. My eyes landing on a boy with flaming red hair, large green eyes, and pointed elf-like ears I pointed with a cheerful smile, "You first, would you please introduce yourself and tell us all a little bit about yourself?"

"

"

After two minutes of watching the new 3rd grade teacher I had to wonder how she had gotten a job at the school. Maybe the principle was getting soft… I had trouble believing that though. Our principle was so…so... So grumpy, and mean, and…and _old_.

And all of the teachers here were extremely serious and boring and _gray_. Smiles were rare, positive energy was even harder to find, and a _laugh_? A true, happy laugh? That was like… Like finding a rainbow when it hadn't rained. _This_ teacher though. _She_ was all smiles and bubbly like a bottle of soda that you shook. She was sunshine, pure and simple. Warm, happy sunshine.

"

"  
I tried my best to suppress another yawn as I answered yet another question the teacher had asked me. Ten minutes into the class I was really wondering why I had been worried. First grade was soooo easy. I'd had no idea. What I really didn't understand though was why the other students seemed to be having so much trouble with the teacher's questions.

By the time the 3rd subject was over I thought I would die of boredom. Snack break was a happy relief. I thought. For about 5 seconds. Then I realized that I was bored with the conversations that the other kids were having. They seemed so… Well so young. I was young. I knew that. But they just seemed like toddlers. _What in the world is wrong with them_ I wondered as I munched on the crackers that the teacher had passed out. Taking a long drink from my chocolate milk carton I watched the other kids. _They were just so strange.._

_"_

_" _

Waiting at the classroom door for Rin's class to be over I heard a gravelly, aged voice call my name. Turning my head I watched as the aged principle approached, that permanent frown of hers marring her face as she strode stiffly down the hall.

"What can I do for you Ms. Suzuki?" I asked quietly, stepping a few feet away from the door to meet her half way.

"Your daughter," she grunted in her ancient voice.

"My daughter?" I asked, an eyebrow rising unconsciously.

"Yes, she's far brighter than the other students. Too bright," she elaborated.

"Yes, I was aware that Rin was exceedingly bright. But then again, that is why I brought her here. You said that it wouldn't be a problem," I replied smoothly, looking down into the wrinkly face that frowned up at me. _She looks like an angry raisin_ I mused. A corner of my mouth twitched up reflexively.

"Yes, but Mr. Taisho I didn't really believe you when you told me she was bright," she sighed, rounded shoulders sagging even more.

"And why exactly is that?" I grumbled.

"You have no idea how many rich parents waltz in here and say that their child is 'incredibly talented and intelligent' and the child, while all children are special and talented in their own way, turns out to be at basically the same level as everyone else.." She paused glaring up at me thoughtfully, "You're the first that has been accurate in your assessment of your daughter."

"And?" I prompted, putting my hands in my pockets.

"And so I think she should be moved up, at least 2 grades," she responded, cocking her head to the side and giving me another measuring look. "We'll need to talk to the 3rd grade teacher though to see how she feels about that – if you have some time," she added as an afterthought.

"And what about the 1st grade teacher? She's alright with Rin moving that far ahead?" I asked, not really surprised. I couldn't help the parental pride that bubbled up in my chest. _That's my Rin,_ I thought with a mental smile.

"She's the one that suggested it," she shrugged. "So if you have a moment. I'll have the 1st grade teacher watch Rin while we are talking to Ms. Higurashi."

Without waiting for a response she turned on her low, serious, black heels and walked down the hall, slumped shoulders covered in her severe black sweater. _Come to think of it…All the staff that I have seen here seem to be getting on in years and/or wearing dark, severe clothing that seems more appropriate for a governess at some British manor than a teacher at an elementary school_._ Maybe that's what you get at an expensive private school for young children,_ I mused as I trailed behind her. We eventually came to a stop next to the door at the classroom labeled _3A._

Just then the bell rang causing the instantaneous domino reaction of more noise as desk chairs were pushed loudly away from desks, bags were stuffed with books, small feet pattered loudly, and young voices were raised in excitement. Over all the noise a voice, clear, smooth, and kind called loudly, "All right class, no homework for today. See you all tomorrow!"

_Odd_ I thought, my curiosity piqued. _She doesn't seem to have the voice of an old woman…perhaps she's not?_ I tried not to snort at the ridiculousness of the idea. I was beginning to get the feeling that a young teacher didn't work at this school. I doubted they could get hired by the Old Prune that stood next to my shoulder as the door exploded outwards, children filing out wildly in all directions.

When the flood of children stopped I thought I heard a small chuckle from inside the classroom but it was noisy in the hallway so I wondered if I imagined it. Walking around the door that had been left hanging open the Prune stepped inside, holding up a hand signaling for me to wait.

"Ms. Higurashi," she growled out, " I have something I need to discuss with you."

"Oh," the same charming voice said, surprise lacing the single word. "What is it Ms. Suzuki?"

"There is a bit of an issue with one of our new students. I was hoping that you, I, and said student's parent could have a bit of a meeting," the Prune stated dully. "Mr. Taisho, would you come in now? And shut the door behind you," she added grumpily.

I did as told and stepped through the door shutting it simultaneously, with my back to the occupants of the room. As I turned around my eyes immediately fell upon the teacher, a surprisingly beautiful woman. _What is she doing here amidst all of these…these…old farts? _ I wondered incredulously as I tried to quickly cover the shock that no doubt was apparent on my face. Standing at the desk the 3rd grade teacher was a lovely young woman with a kind, beautifully formed face, eyes like the ocean on a sunny day, luscious red lips, long black hair held up in a messy bun, and a body that was obviously very well formed and barely hidden under a fitted, knee length, dark blue dress that complimented her figure. Long legs materialized at the skirt hem and continued down to her ankles and then to her delicate feet that were adorned with a pair of little, strappy high heels. Quickly taking my eyes off those legs I moved back to her face. She seemed to be wearing no make-up, and if she was I certainly couldn't tell. If she didn't have it on then she obviously didn't need it. She seemed to glow with life and energy and had no need of the powders and glosses that so many other women needed. Realizing I was staring again I quickly turned my attention back to the Prune.

'_The Prune_ '– _Really I should stop this name calling,_ I thought regretfully. _It's going to get me into trouble if I'm not careful._

Ms. Suzuki continued, "Mr. Taisho," she said turning to face me and then pointing at the lovely creature that was now leaning a hip casually against her desk, " Ms. Higurashi," she finished curtly.

Turning back to Ms. Higurashi she said, " The student in question is Mr. Taisho's 5 year old daughter Rin. She started today in the first grade level."

Higurashi raised an inquisitive eyebrow, obviously missing the point. _Not a psychic apparently… That makes two of us. Really the Prune needs to figure out how to communicate better… How did she get this job anyway?_

"I seem to have made a miscalculation," Ms. Suzuki said ruefully.

"

"  
I watched the kids run from the room like ants rushing from a mound that was being stomped on. I chuckled at the mental image that flew across my mind's eye as I shuffled the papers on my desk into a pile and slid them as neatly as possible into my briefcase. I was feeling very good about my first day as a teacher, feeling pretty successful, feeling pretty positive. Nothing was going to bring me down – I had a bounce in my step – I was conqueror of the classroom – Queen of the-

"Ms. Higurashi," a voice grown ragged in age growled.

School…?

" I have something I need to discuss with you."

_No oxygen,_ my mind noted nonchalantly, _that's odd…oh right. Lungs – Open. Close. Open, close, _I thought.

"Oh," I said intelligently as I tried to get the wheels in my brain turning again. "What is it Ms. Suzuki?" I finally asked as I turned to face the principle that in my mind I had nicknamed Craisin. She was wrinkled and sour just like a craisin so I had deemed that as an appropriate nickname since the day I had my first interview with her.

"There is a bit of an issue with one of our new students. I was hoping that you, I, and said student's parent could have a bit of a meeting," Ms. Craisin stated dully. "Mr. Taisho, would you come in now. And shut the door behind you," she added grumpily.

At the mention of the parent's name my brain stood up and took notice. _Taisho… That sounds really familiar. I get the feeling I should know who this is._ With a mental shrug I turned my head slightly to get a better view of the door. A tall, broad shouldered man clad in a black business suit backed through the door shutting it as he came inside, simultaneously giving us a very nice view of his backside. He looked magnificent from what little I could tell from the suit but what was truly noteworthy was his hair. It was a beautiful, silver white that flowed in a long waterfall down his back. My lungs stuttered for the second time in 5 seconds as the pieces began to fall into place… There were very few people with hair like _that_ and I only knew of three of them that lived in Tokyo. _Correction,_ I thought, _there are no **people** with hair like that and only a few **youkai** with hair like that. _Since the three that lived in Tokyo were family it wasn't too surprising that they were all addressed formally as Mr. Taisho, but out of those three only two could possibly have a child in school. I wouldn't have really had a clue about them at all except for the fact that Sango works as a business reporter in the Tokyo Beat Magazine. Even though I neither enjoyed, nor understood business, if it was an article that Sango had written, I read it. And there had been lots of articles about the Taisho's large company. They had always had very nice pictures of the three, father, and his two sons but I had always personally suspected that the images had to be slightly enhanced. After all who has hair that… That pretty. '_Photoshop'_ I had always claimed with a snicker. Now I was getting the feeling I was about to stand severely corrected. I told my lungs to move again as watched him turn around.

Sesshoumaru Taisho's golden eyes stared back at mine.

It was suddenly quite difficult to breathe. Yet again. _Sango is never going to **believe** this!_ the little voice in my head crowed while the other part of my brain was busy looking at the man that I had seen so many times in the magazines. And _on_ the magazines. He was a frequent front cover photo subject for most business magazines. Not a big surprise when Taisho & Sons was one of the biggest competing conglomerate companies in Tokyo. They had their fingers in everything ranging from medical, manufacture, electronics, trade, food research… The list went on.

I realized quickly as I looked at his handsome face framed by the incredibly silky looking hair that the pictures which I had been sure were enhanced by Photoshop had actually not done him justice. At all. The face with the familiar stripes slashing horizontally across the high cheekbones, the crescent moon that rested on the forehead, and those notorious gold eyes… I had seen it many times. It was just far too strange to have this man, a legend in the business world, standing in front of me – at work. _This is by far the best or worse thing that could have happened_, I decided suddenly. Best? He was without a doubt the most gorgeous example of a man I had ever seen in my whole life and I was getting to see him up close and personal – at work. Worst? For some reason the Craisin and Sesshoumaru Taisho wanted to have a discussion with me concerning his child.

_Did any of my kids have the last name Taisho_, I wondered frantically. _What did I do wrong?_ The little voice in head wondered pitifully as I mentally did a run through of the kids in my class. I came up with nothing when Ms. Craisin opened her mouth again.

"Mr. Taisho," she grumbled turning to face Mr. Taisho and then pointed at me as I leaned against my desk for support, trying to resist the urge to collapse on the floor in an unladylike manner. " Ms. Higurashi," she said brusquely.

Turning back to me she said, " The student in question is Mr. Taisho's 5 year old daughter Rin. She started today in the first grade level."

I raised an eyebrow in question as relief flooded my body while I mentally did a happy dance. _Oh thank God, I didn't do anything to his kid – I'm not going to die yet,_ I thought giddily.

"I seem to have made a miscalculation," Craisin grumbled. I felt my other eyebrow rise up and draw level with the other. _If I'm not mistaken she actually sounds rueful… Weird,_ I blinked, trying to bring my eyebrows back into their normal position. _That's a first._ Not that I had known her long I decided quickly, reining my brain in to focus on the subject at hand.

_The world's most beautiful male is standing two feet away. In my classroom._

Not exactly the subject, but hey, it's the little things in life, right? All right - focusing.

_And I had 10 minutes to get ready this morning,_ the little annoying voice added,_ I probably look hideous right now. Shite._ I sighed and leaned harder against my desk, turning my full attention back to Ms. Craisin.

"I'm afraid that I didn't believe Mr. Taisho when he claimed that his daughter was unusually bright, even though that was one of his reasons for choosing this school as the quality of education here is very high. Because I didn't believe him I placed her in the first grade level like all the other 5 year olds," she paused and I waited, nodding my head occasionally to show that I was listening as she continued. However, the male two feet to my left was making that painfully difficult to focus on the woman's grating voice.

"Mrs. Wada brought it to my attention however during lunch that is Rin is _far_ beyond the other 1st graders, human and youkai alike. After she elaborated and gave me examples she told me that she suggested I move Rin up."

I nodded, the wheels and gears in my head grinding on.

"After considering everything she told me and talking with her again briefly during the 2:30 - 3:00 period we both decided that Rin should be moved up to the 3rd grade level."

"Ah," I said. _I really need some WD-40 to get rid of the rust that seems to be slowing down my brain today_, I thought dryly.

"I wanted to make sure that was ok with you and I wanted you and Mr. Taisho to talk a little bit about Rin," she crossed her arms over her ample chest and narrowed those hard, brown eyes at me and groused, "So Ms. Higurashi?"

"Well," I said thoughtfully, "My class certainly isn't too big or too rambunctious so I think I should be able to take care of one more student, but before I decide I'd like to talk to Mr. Taisho in detail about his daughter. After that I think I can make a more educated decision, but as far as I know I don't think it will be a problem," I shrugged as I pushed myself away from the desk and ran a hand down the back of my skirt where the desk had undoubtedly left wrinkles.

"Understandable," she said, nodding her head seriously. "Alright," she dropped her arms to her sides and turned to look at Mr. Taisho directing her next words at him, " I'll leave you two to it." As she walked out the door leaving the two of us in the room alone she threw her last words over her shoulder at me, "Come by my office when you are finished to let me know what you have decided." And with that the "WHAM" of the door slamming shut behind her filled the classroom as my brain began to process the fact that I was standing in the room with _the_ Sesshoumaru Taisho.

_Oh dear Kami-sama,_ I cried as I looked heavenward. I didn't know whether to be happy or distraught. As I stood there trying to decide which emotion was the most appropriate for the occasion the sound of a throat being cleared brought me crashing back to the present situation.

_Right, I'm supposed to be having an intelligent conversation with this man. Not standing a foot from my desk staring off into space,_ I thought glumly.

Striding forward into the first row of desks I turned two chairs to face each other, and smiling, taking a seat in one motioned with my hand for him to sit in the remaining one. With a slight upturning of the lips that may have been the hint of a smile he came towards me and took the seat. The result was nothing short of comical. The chair was made for the little peoples, not for an extremely tall, well built male youkai. He turned his waist off to the side a bit so he could stretch out his long legs so he was less cramped. While he had sat down he had looked me in the face and I had to use every shred of will power to keep myself from squirming like a nervous child under his golden gaze. He had, by far, the most beautiful eyes that I had ever seen and it wasn't like I hadn't seen them in the photos before. But that was just it, it was so different seeing them in the photos and having them actually looking at me. Being the focus of those gorgeous orbs was more than a little nerve wracking.

"So, Rin is your daughter's name," I asked for confirmation, figuring that was a safe way to start the conversation. "And she's 5?" I smiled, not knowing what to expect from him. I tried to remember if I'd ever heard his voice on a news report on television or somewhere. In the end I decided that I couldn't recall it if I had…

"Yes," he said and his voice was low, deep, like liquid velvet running over steel. It was strong with an undercurrent of undeniable magnetism. When he spoke it was obvious why he was such a successful businessman – you got the distinct feeling that people didn't usually tell him 'no'.

"

"

"Where did she go to kindergarten," she asked in that amazing voice, gentle, smooth, and as sweet as honey. Her scent was as heady as her voice I decided; it was the smell of gentle green mixed with red and white clover blossoms and crown vetch. She was like a wild meadow in summer, full of life and color.

"I hired a private tutor to teach her at home so she never went to a Kindergarten," I replied. "Her mind seemed to be very quick so I wished to encourage that," I shrugged slightly. "I have to admit I find it amusing that the Prun- Ms. Suzuki admitted that she thought I was just another braggart," I added, trying not to wince as I nearly slipped, calling the principle by the nickname I had given her. I watched as Ms. Higurashi's eye's danced with mirth as a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth, desperately trying to pull those red lips into a smirk.

"The Prun-?" she choked.

"Pardon," I asked innocently, eyebrow rising quizzically. _Play dumb, play dumb_, the little voice in my head insisted.

"Right –" laughter bubbled up out of her throat, a sound that I would have enjoyed had I not been busy trying not to get caught, " Right before you said 'Ms. Suziki' you said 'the Prun-'," she said quickly covering her mouth as a giggle escaped.

"You must have heard incorrectly," I replied trying desperately to keep a straight face. I had lots of practice as a businessman but it was getting increasingly difficult.

"Were you perhaps starting to say 'Prune' Mr. Taisho?" she said, face turning completely serious.

"No, hardly," I said calmly, mentally giving myself a pat on the back for staying so composed. And then a muscle in my face twitched as a mental image of the principle came to mind. Swearing inwardly as I saw her eyes light up in triumph I knew there was no more denying it. I sighed.

She grinned then, a full out smile that was blinding. It would have been beautiful if I weren't so disappointed by my defeat.

"Well, yes, I get the feeling that the Craisin gets a lot of _interesting_ parents in here. Some of the people that I saw this morning looked…well like they thought they owned the world - to put it nicely," she shrugged.

I did a mental reprocessing of what she had just said. "Did you just say," I hesitated, " Craisin?"

"No," she winked, "Just like you didn't say Prune."

"

"

The doorbell rang 3 hours later when Kagome was standing in front of her full-length mirror giving herself the look over. Shouting, "Coming!" she ran to the door and opened it to reveal her two best friends Sango and Miroku.

"Hey guys," she smiled, "Long time no see."

"Haha, very funny. I still can't believe we didn't finish moving you in here till 2 last night," Miroku laughed.

"No kidding, " Sango added, as she stepped off the last step and came to stand beside him. "So you ready Kag?"

"Yes'um!" I responded happily, checking the inside of my purse for all necessary items: keys, license, and wallet – check. "I am ready to go out and celebrate – albeit in moderation," I laughed as they turned around and started heading down the steps. After I locked the door and climbed down the stairs I said with a spring in my step, "Guess what happened today you two – you aren't going to believe it." Giddily, thoroughly enjoying myself, I opened the car door to Miroku's Mitsubishi.

"Oh really? Hmm…let me guess – you were trampled by the kids as they ran away from classroom screaming?" Miroku teased as he turned the key in the ignition.

"What the – where did _that_ come from?" I tilted my head in confusion. "Never mind – either way you are so off. Obviously. Like any kids would run away from _my_ class," I grumbled leaning forward from my seat in the back and punching him lightly on the bicep.

"Ow," he lied.

"Ok, I give," Sango said turning around with a pout, "What happened?"

" _The _ Sesshoumaru Taisho came to my classroom with the Principle to discuss moving his daughter into my class," I said smugly, falling back into the seat with my arms crossed over my chest, feeling mighty pleased with myself. It wasn't often that I had this type of surprise up my sleeve for Sango and Miroku so I was thoroughly enjoying it.

"Say wha-" she spluttered.

_Oh fun_, I thought as I laughed. "Yup. Those photos in the magazines never did him justice I realized. He's – to put it simply – stunning."

"You can say that again," she whistled. "So is she in your class now?"

"Yup, starting tomorrow," I smiled, "I'm actually looking forward to parent/teacher meetings."

End Chapter


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**: Give Me Some Fluff

As the weeks passed I felt that I was getting to know Ms. Higurashi without even meeting her once since that first day… I of course, like any parent, wished that I had the time and the ability to pick Rin up from school everyday. However, with the work that I had that was hardly an option. Another element added to my desire to pick my daughter up at the school, a desire that was too ridiculous for me to happily admit. A part of me wished that I could have the chance, the excuse, to see Ms. Higurashi again or to strike up a conversation with her. A chance to see those mesmerizing blue eyes; a chance to drown in the ocean that was the window to her sou-

I digress.

I subtly gave myself a slight physical shake to bring myself back to focus on the task at hand: the torturously long board meeting.

_Oh goody,_ I thought dully. _Yet another one_.

It was a bit aggravating though, I had to admit. Actually it was extremely aggravating. I had only met the woman once for a period of 30 minutes nearly 2 months ago yet she had definitely gained a nonsensical hold on my mind that was nothing short of mortifyingly embarrassing. I, Sesshoumaru Taisho, had never - in the entire span of my life – been the type of male that became so…so… wrapped up in the idea of _any _woman. I wasn't the type of male to be spellbound and hypnotized by a woman. It was one of my famous traits. I was a cold, hard businessman who only let myself relax around my family and very close friends. And after being married to my ex-wife and getting divorced I never spent much time with women, youkai or human, it hardly mattered. The point was that I paid them no attention. I was cordial at best, but that was where I drew the line. I was _infamous_ for that. But now, this little elementary teacher had me thinking about her _eyes_ – her eyes – in such a ludicrously romantic way that I felt like the writer of a dime romance novel. _I'm losing my mind, surely_.

Turning my attention back to the board meeting, I nodded occasionally to give the appearance that I was listening intently. Not surprisingly I only listened intently for a minute. Impressive.

I probably would have gotten over my preposterous fascination with her if it hadn't been for the fact that she was my daughter's beloved teacher. Which of course brings me back to my original thought. I was not allowed to forget about her _because_ of Rin. As the weeks had passed, nearly every day, Rin had something to say about Ms. Higurashi. A funny thing she had said, a trip she took them on, an activity that they did in class; it went on and on, week after week. It was easy to see that Rin had taken an immediate liking to the woman, and to put it bluntly, adored her. But as Rin continued to tell me all of those things I began to feel like I was learning a lot about the enigma that was Higurashi. _As fascinating as it is, it's damned inconvenient,_ I decided as I stood up from my chair after the board members had finished filing out. _The more I hear about her the less I can forget her, and because I can't forget her I want to meet her, and because I can't just make up any lame excuse to see her I can't stop thinking about her at the most inappropriate times – like in the middle on an important board meeting. _The domino effect that this woman and my beloved daughter were having on me was very bad. _Very bad for my mental health_, I thought in annoyance as I opened the door to my office. _Thank God parent/teacher conferences are in two weeks,_ I sighed, running a hand over my face as I sat in my plush, black leather chair.

Leaning back in my chair I thought about "The things that Rin's stories have taught me about 'Teacher'"

1) She had a sense of humor. If she made a mistake she could admit it and laugh about it.

2) She loved plants and growing things. She had asked the principle to allow her and the kids to plant and take care of a garden along the playground   
fence.

3) She believed in encouraging the children to look at the world as a whole. Two times a week she would come up with activities that ranged from  
games from other countries to picking a country to research or discussing an article she had found.

4) She loved to play. During recess it wasn't uncommon for her to join in the games with the children.

5) She was strong and caring. When a few of the children had begun to make fun of Rin because of her age she had brought a very quick end to it and  
there had been no problem since. She was a protector and didn't tolerate unkindness in her classroom.

6) She was giving and compassionate. Every week the children would take one of their recess blocks and use the time to volunteer. Volunteering was  
obviously very important to her, and the activities ranged from collecting food, clothes, cleaning streets, raising money for different organizations,   
visiting hospitals, elderly homes, animal shelters, etc, etc.

These were just a few of the things that were 'Teacher'. Maybe one of the reasons she was so magnetic was because she was such an anomaly, so abnormal. Whatever the reasons, I decided, I wasn't happy with her regular intrusions into my thoughts. _This has to stop_, I thought determinedly.

"

"

Everybody loved Higurashi-sensei. All of us students were willing to do anything for her. Since she'd come we'd learned so much – not just from our textbooks but also from the things that she'd exposed us to. It was always something interesting – sometimes funny, sometimes sad, and sometimes happy, but she had a way of explaining everything that she told us so that the words and the lessons stuck.

She was fair, she didn't play favorites – instead she loved everyone – vigorously. If she noticed you were struggling in a subject she was there to help. She noticed when you did your best and praised you for it, showering you with her warm smiles. And for us the best reward was the way her eyes would light up when she thought that you had achieved something great – and to her a lot of things were "great." Whether you learned to understand a different culture's ideas or learned how to do a part of math that you had struggled with – it was all important to her. She didn't believe that because we were children we couldn't understand big problems or that we should be sheltered from all of them. In her gentle way she would expose us to problems like being prejudice or hunger or being without a home and then she would show us ways we could try to fix those things, showing us that she believed in us and in our abilities to do the right thing.

She made each and every one of us feel like we were truly important to her. Youkai or human, she treated us like we were her treasures. And in turn she captivated our hearts. I still didn't know how she got hired at our school, but I thanked whoever was up there in the heavens everyday for Higurashi-sensei, our own personal ray of summer sunshine.

"

"

As I reached the door to my apartment my cell rang loudly from the dark maw of my briefcase. Jabbing a hand in through the opening I roughly smashed papers, fingers scrambling along the bottom of the bag as I tried to find it. Getting it, pulling it out and simultaneously flipping it open I greeted breathlessly, "Hello, Kagome Higurashi speaking. What can I do for you?" Pausing to pin the phone between my ear and my shoulder with a practiced ease I unlocked and opened the door, kicking my shoes off as I left the entryway.

A familiar laugh was my first reply and then, "Hey 'Gome," Sango called cheerfully from the other end. "How was school again today?"

"Excellent as always, my dear. I swear they're so wonderful, all of them. I think I must have the best job in the world," I smiled happily as I collapsed onto my plush living room couch. "And you, how was it at the Beat today?"

"Exciting and hectic as always," she laughed, " Although I think you would have fallen asleep and drooled at some points." I could almost see her shrug before she continued, "But anyway, Miroku and I wanted to call you and tell you not to make any plans for this Friday."

"Friday?" I repeated curiosity blossoming into life. "Why is that?"

"Because you are coming with us to a party!" she sang out goofily reminiscent of a kid on a playground singing "My mommy gave me more candy than your mommy!"

I repressed a laugh, "Ok, what type of party?"

"Surprise, that's part of the fun after all."

"But what should I wea-"

"I'll take care of it, don't worry," she interrupted.

"Oook…weird Sango, very weird," I paused. "As well as _very_ cruel. You know how my curiosity is going to drive me nuts now for the next two days," I grumbled.

"I know, I'm sorry. But!" she exclaimed, "We didn't want to risk you missing out on this party – it's going to be so much fun you have _no_ idea! So we had to tell you early just in case, so you wouldn't make any conflicting appointments. Trust me, you'll forgive us on Friday," she laughed. "Now I have to go shopping hun so I'll see you on Friday at 6:00 sharp, alright?"

"Alright," I said uncertainly, wondering what I had just gotten myself into. "See you then. Bye," I finished as I hung up the phone and lied down momentarily on the couch.

An hour later I woke up bleary eyed and drowsy and with great effort drug my sleepy carcass off the couch that was _so_ very comfortable. "Time to prepare for tomorrow's parent/teacher conferences," I thought sleepily. In the few seconds that my eyes drooped close I saw a pair of luminous golden eyes stare at me from a face as beautiful and white as the moon. I shook my head violently in an attempt to clear the vision that still caught me at moments when I had let my guard down. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't seem to completely erase the vision of the eyes of a certain youkai that seemed to have been burned into the deepest recesses of my mind's eye.

"

"

Dear Parents,

It is our pleasure to announce the details regarding our half semester parent/teacher's conference. The purpose of these meetings is to allow the parents and teachers to discuss any concerns that they may have, as well as give any positive feedback. It is also an opportunity for our teachers do discuss with you, the parents, the progress of your child in school. It is very important to us here at Nakagawa Private School for Elementary Children that these meetings are fruitful and can help our teachers to better educate your children. Before attending please think about anything that you would like to mention or discuss with your child's teacher. We look forward to seeing you.

Date: Thursday, October 19th

Time: 3:15-9:00

Location: Your child's homeroom classroom

♪To reserve the time for your appointment please call our office at 080-5555-6097♪

Thank you for your cooperation,

Yoko Suzuki

Principle

"

"

"

_This conference is going by **way** to slowly,_ I thought glumly as another pair of parents left the classroom looking smug. _I want to curl up in a little hole and die._ Suppressing a sigh I called out, " Next please!"

An emerald eyed, flaming red head bounced through the door and at the sight of him I felt my spirits lifting, regaining their normal bouncy quality. Behind him trailed his mother and father, another rich couple; but they at least had friendly eyes. _Unlike the many condescending eyes that have been glaring at me since early this afternoon,_ I thought sadly, feeling myself nearly deflate again. Quickly I focused my attention on the parents.

His mother was tall and slender, with beautiful slanted green eyes, positively sparkling with mischief. Red lips formed an easy smile and flaming red hair flowed over her shoulders and down her back in curling waves, swishing back and forth as she entered the room, her high heels clicking gently. She wore a simple white silk blouse with a black and white tweed skirt that showed off her legs in an attractive way that still managed to be conservative. His father, a tall man, with the same flaming hair, but cut short, followed behind her in a black business suit. His eyes, while a gold green, were just as lively as his wife's, and his smile just as friendly. Relieved at the sight of them I let myself smile a real smile for the first time in hours. It felt heavenly.

"Good evening Mr. and Mrs. Tokunaga, good evening to you too Shippou," I greeted cheerfully as they took their seats in front of my desk. "How are you doing this evening?"

"Very well, thank you Ms. Higurashi," Shippou's mother replied good-naturedly, her voice light and sweet. "And how are you doing today? You must be getting tired," she commented, a knowing smile gracing her lips.

"Oh, I'm doing wonderful," I fibbed trying to make myself look perkier. When her smile only increased I remembered that youkai could smell physical conditions. "Well, honestly. Yes," I admitted ruefully. "I'm sorry. But now - enough of that. Let's get down to business," I said energetically, clapping my hands together with a smile.

"Your son," I let my tone turn serious and sorrowful as my smile died. "Is… Well how can I put it?" I sighed, rolling my eyes heavenward for inspiration. I didn't miss the merry twinkle in both of his parent's eyes. _I love people who like a joke_, I thought happily.

"Shippou is a wonderfully bright and talented student. He's a joy to have in the classroom and a joy to teach. He's eager to learn, always does his best, is willing to try new things, listens well, answers his share of questions, and treats myself and his fellow classmates with respect. He's always willing to help me out whenever we're doing any of our different projects. In short, I have no bad things to say about your son," I finished in a dull, pained voice as if instead of saying good things I had just said that the world was ending in three hours.

Shippou snorted, covering his mouth with a small, clawed hand.

I sighed dramatically and then turned my attention on his parents who were positively beaming. _Now how come the other parents couldn't have been this…receptive…and **nice**?_ I grumped. "So you see my problem, don't you?" I asked sadly.

"Oh yes," Mr. Tokunaga said seriously, eyes laughing, " This is very serious, isn't it my dear?" He turned to his wife and she nodded emphatically.

"I'm so very sorry Ms. Higurashi, we will be sure to punish him fully for his naughty, naughty ways. Understand, Mister," she growled as she attempted to glare at her son. The effect however was lost due to her overly expressive eyes. I briefly wondered if anyone in this family was capable of making the mirth and the laughter in their eyes stop. I rather hoped not, it was such a beautiful thing to see.

"May I offer a suggestion for a suitable disciplinary action?" I asked quickly.

"Oh yes, please," she said eagerly.

"Perhaps some of his favorite sweets along with an ample amount of hugging and kissing after you leave the school?"

"Oh that sounds perfect," Mr. Tokunaga smiled. "We'll get right to it Ms. Higurashi."

"If that's all, before we leave we'd just like to say 'thank you' – for being the best teacher Shippou's ever had. We really appreciate it, so please let us know if there is anything we can ever do," Mrs. Tokunaga said, flashing a brilliant smile. "And," she said with a wink as they stood up, "I hope that your evening improves."

I choked on a giggle and nodding, responded, "Oh, you two have already made it improve a thousand-fold. Thank you so much for letting me be Shippou's teacher, it's an honor and my pleasure," rising from my chair and bowing as they left, I smiled.

"

"

"I have an hour left," I mused as I glanced for what seemed like the millionth time at the clock on the back wall. "Fifty-nine minutes and 50 seconds… 49… 48… 47 – oh gawl. Stop it." Frantically I looked for something, anything, to occupy myself with so I wasn't left counting the seconds. "How many left," I wondered aloud. Shuffling through the papers that were on my desk I found my attendance list and ran a quick eye over it. When I hit the section that started with the letter 'T' I found one name unchecked. I sucked in a deep breath reflexively as I remembered who had yet to show up tonight; I didn't know how I could have forgotten Quickly checking the rest of the list I discovered that he was the only parent left. _Maybe I'll get out of here early_, I mused dreamily as I rested my chin in the cup of my hand, staring blankly out the window where the street lamp glowed it's strange yellow-orange. _It could happen, right?_

_I wonder if he'll be brining Rin with him or not, it's kind of late…_

A knock on the partially closed door brought me crashing out of my mental wanderings. "Come in," I spluttered, trying to get my gears spinning again.

The door opened smoothly to reveal the man of my musings. "Mr. Taisho, good evening," I greeted, immediately feeling his presence as it seemed to fill the room, feeling the magnetism. I motioned for him to sit in one of the chairs available in front of my desk and tried to act as if he had no effect on me whatsoever. I tried to tell myself that as well, but I've never been good at fooling myself. _And unfortunately not that good at fooling others either,_ I thought sourly. _So depressing in instances likes this… He probably knows that I'm as susceptible to his **aura** – I don't what else to call it - as every other woman probably is… How embarrassing,_ I grumbled. _He's too handsome for his own good._

"Good evening, Ms. Higurashi," he replied smoothly, obviously not the least bit affected or thrown off balance by my presence. _And why would **I** throw **him** off balance for goodness sakes,_ I laughed.

He sat down, casually folding his long length into the chair and placing his right leg over his left, as his gold eyes watched me at my place behind the desk. Caught in those pools like the liquid sun I felt my lungs stutter. _Why does he always seem to make my lungs malfunction,_ I wondered grumpily as I tried to send messages to the worthless organs. _Do your job dang-it! Pump pump!_

"I apologize for scheduling my meeting so late," he said with an apologetic smile. "I tried earlier in the week to reschedule the meetings I was supposed to attend today but unfortunately I was unable to."

"Oh, that's no problem at all Mr. Taisho. You're still an hour within the time set aside for the conference. Besides, even if you were later than 9 I'd still be more than happy to meet with you. Communicating with and getting feedback from the parents' is very important, in my opinion," I smiled, noticing off-hand that my cheeks hurt from smiling so much for an entire day – even though during the afternoon and evening nearly all of them had been fake or strained.

He tilted his head slightly to the side, eyes gaining an inquisitive gleam. "You look tired," he stated. I didn't even try to pretend I wasn't then. _He can smell my exhaustion, why bother?_

"It's alright," I said instead, waving a hand in an attempt to brush away the comment.

"Do you have any other meetings after mine?" he asked, and I could have sworn I could see the wheels starting to turn behind that perfectly formed face.

"No, you're my last meeting for the day," I smiled trying to convey that I really was fine with it being so late – it was part of my job after all.

"Have you eaten dinner at all tonight?" The wheels were moving faster now.

"No, I was planning on eating after I was finished for the night," after a pause I gathered up enough courage to ask, "Why?"

The gears clicked into place. His eyes warm as a smile tugged at his lips he said, "Let me take you out to dinner then."

Hitch in the breathing pattern yet again. Stuttering to a start I said, "Excuse me," the surprise blatantly obvious in my voice.

He didn't even blink at my tone; yes, he was a hardheaded businessman who probably didn't even know the meaning of the word 'no'. _Well I guess he's going to learn it now_, I thought a little smugly as my hidden stubborn side began to rise to the challenge. _It's far too inappropriate, the two us going out to dinner right now. _

"Allow me to take you out to dinner," he reiterated.

"I'm afraid I can't do that," I replied quickly, flashing an apologetic smile.

"And why is that?" he asked, a single white eyebrow cocked – in curiosity I hazarded.

"I don't know how the school would feel about me skipping out on a meeting to go out to dinner with the parent of one of my students, but I think I can guess pretty safely that they wouldn't approve."

"You won't be skipping out on the meeting. We can have the meeting at the restaurant," he reasoned smoothly.

"I don't think it's a good ide-"

"Higurashi," he said in an intimate tone, a part of me wondering how he could say my last name intimately – it was the most publicly used part of my name after all. But not when he said it like _that_. And oh it sounded so good when he said it, in that rich baritone. I felt a shiver run unbidden up my spine as he continued, "It's past 8 at night, you're exhausted, you haven't eaten dinner, and I know you won't go easy on yourself and go home even if I tell you to. So, in conclusion, the least you can do, for the both of us, is let me take you out to dinner. You're tired and I don't like being the reason that you can't go to sleep right now. So please, allow me to do this one thing." He paused, looking at me critically, "It's not a date – strictly a meeting. There's no harm in that, and if the school has anything to say about then they can complain to me," he shrugged elegantly.

I stared at him, thinking of a rebuttal.

A large growl shattered the silence.

Apparently the monster that took residence in my stomach thought what he said sounded like an awfully good idea.

_Dang it he's good_, I thought, extremely miffed, cheeks tinged red. _I **am** really tired, and hungry, and tired, and going to a restaurant sounds so nice…oh shite, fine. I give in... All too quickly, _I sighed.

"Fine," I consented, adding quickly, "But it's strictly business."

"Good," he said smiling broadly and the room spun. _It couldn't be a bad thing to make him make that face more often,_ I thought a little breathlessly. _I certainly wouldn't mind trying…_

"Then, what type of food are you in the mood for?"

_The monster in my stomach would like_, "Italian?"

"Alright then, I think I know just the place," he smiled and stood up with unnatural grace. "There's a place in Harajuku that's very nice. It's called Soho's Omotesando. Have you ever heard of it before?"

I shook my head no as I began packing all my papers into my briefcase – my method? Sweeping them roughly off the desk into the gaping maw of said bag and smashing any papers that rebelled and tried to stick out of the opening. _Hunger and exhaustion make me so tidy._ "No, I don't know that many of the restaurants around here yet– too many to know really. My friends and I usually stick to Izakaya style dining or the cheap stuff. They make plenty of money but my budget on the other hand is a bit smaller," I shrugged, pulling the briefcase strap onto my shoulder.

"Yet?" he questioned as we walked from the room.

"I'm from Nagoya – I went to college at Chiba University but I still don't know Tokyo all that well even after four years."

"I see," his lips turned up in a small smile as he walked along side me taking measured strides, being kind enough to take my shorter height into consideration. I stopped suddenly as I heard the echoing of clunky high heels clicking briskly from some point in one of the hallways. Judging from the sound though, wherever they were now the heels were headed our way.

Without a second thought I hooked my arm through his and did a U-turn. "On second thought, lets take the back door," I giggled sheepishly. "I'd recognize that distinct pitter patter of feet anywhere."

"Let me guess," he said, raising an eyebrow – at my words or at the way I was manhandling him, I wasn't sure. "Ms. Suzuki?"

Looking up at him suspiciously I asked, " Can you smell her from here?"

"Yes," he replied shamelessly.

"Cheating."

"Hardly. Even if I couldn't smell her I would have guessed that it was her just from the sound. She walks like an elephant in army boots," he snorted, shaking his head.

"That's a,,, colorful description," I paused mid-stride wincing at the mental image his words conjured up – a massive elephant sized Ms. Suzuki wearing BDUs and black lace-up boots. _Uungh._

"What is it?" he glanced at me, confusion evident in his face.

"Mental image," I mumbled, mind still a bit shell-shocked. Giving myself a bit of a shake I strode forward – as quietly as possible on high heels. I was so caught up in my own thoughts that I failed to notice that I still had my arm linked with his and he had yet to pull away.

"

"

When we reached the parking lot I realized that I had forgotten about a possible complication: a car. _Hopefully she'll allow me to drive her to the restaurant and then bring her back here,_ I thought as I turned, yet again, to look at the little woman who was walking beside me, sadly with her arm no longer linked through mine. She had looked quite startled when we reached the doors and she found that her arm was still connected with mine. It had taken a lot of will power not to laugh at her stupefied face. It was quite adorable.

"Do you have a car," I asked watching as she paused to look up at me questioningly.

"Yeah, but I usually take the train to work. I only take the car on days where I'm running late," she laughed.

"Alright," I smiled reflexively, the sound of her laugh like music. "That makes it simple – my car's over there," I said pointing to the left at the black BMW sitting in nearly empty parking lot. I walked forward, keeping my steps short so she wouldn't have to jog to keep up and when we reached the car I held the door open for her and waited for her to get situated before I shut it.

When I climbed in and put the key in the ignition she said, "You have a very nice car," and patted the black leather seat.

"Thank you," I chuckled. "Now, Ms. Higurashi, do you want to start the meeting her in the car or would you like to rest until we reach the restaurant? We have time, so whichever you prefer." I looked over at her while I put the car into drive and began to move through the parking lot.

A thoughtful look crossed her face before she finally nodded, apparently to herself. "I think I'll actually rest if you don't mind. That way I'll be more energetic at the restaurant." She frowned apologetically, " I really am sorry that I'm such a dud today, I feel awful about it."

"There is no need for you to feel bad Ms. Higurashi. It's been a long day for you and believe me, I know how exhausting long days at work can be sometimes."

"Thank you," she smiled that warm smile of hers as she snuggled into the seat, turning toward the window and pulled her legs up, tucking them in between herself and the seat divider. After only two minutes had passed I heard the change in her breathing signifying that she had fallen fast into the realm of sleep.

When we arrived in Harajuku and had parked in the nearest lot, 30 minutes later due to ridiculous traffic, I turned to the sleeping woman beside me and placed a hand on her shoulder. I felt a bit miffed as a pleasant shiver ran up my back at the contact. Gently shaking her I said a bit more gruffly than I meant to, "Ms. Higurashi, we're here."

"Uungh," was her reply as she attempted to roll away. My eyebrow raised, I shook her a little more firmly and repeated myself. "Fudge sundae…" was her response.

_Okay – say what?_ "Apparently you are not one who wakes up well," I muttered, deciding to try a different approach. Climbing out of the car, I walked around the front and came to her door. Opening it, I quickly crouched down to her level as her sleeping form lurched dangerous toward the concrete floor. Bracing her gently, my hands carefully grasping her arms, I got a little close to her face and said very loudly, "Ms. Higurashi?" She still seemed to be sleeping, mumbling something unintelligible, but I noticed a bit of movement behind her eyelids and a change in her breathing. She was coming, albeit slowly, to the surface. _Well, _I thought,_ I remember a certain threat that always worked very well on Inuyasha. It wouldn't hurt to try it here as well._

Shifting slightly, still keeping a firm grasp on her arms I got very close to her face. I didn't fail to notice the way I felt at such an intimate proximity and deciding that it was not only intimate but dangerous as well said quickly and loudly, "Please don't make me tickle you, Higurashi."

Eyelids flew open, long black lashes snapped like crows wings taking off in flight, and a pair of large sapphire orbs captured mine.

I suddenly remembered how dangerously close my face was to hers.

"

"

An extremely attractive voice broke into my dream interrupting my pillaging of a massive banana nut fudge sundae the size of a small dog. I had been doing a pretty good job of it too and now this incredible voice was telling me that I had to leave my ice cream. _Nuh-uh, I don't think so. I don't care how good you sound,.._

I focused on the bowl in front of me and defiantly dove my spoon into a particularly gooey piece of fudge. _Mmmm…_

Then there was that voice again and I felt a traitorous part of my brain begin to obey it. Extremely irked I watched as my surroundings, tragically including my beautiful sundae, shimmered and began to disappear. I was sitting on the fence between the waking world and the sleeping one – which I really wanted to go back to. Now.

_Maybe if I just ignore the hands on my arms and pretend I didn't hear that voice, maybe, just maybe, I can go back to sleep. I'm **so** tired. Five more minutes couldn't hurt surely... Make that 8 hours._ My decision made I began my endeavor to re-enter that dream with that gorgeous sundae. _I love chocolate_, I thought dreamily as I shut out the outside world.

"Please don't make me tickle you, Higurashi," that masculine, heavenly voice said loudly, right in front of my nose. **All** drowsiness was gone in less than half an instant as I realized who was speaking, what they were saying, and how close they were while they were saying it. _Oh my go-_ I thought horrified as my eyes snapped open.

There, in front of me, his nose less than an inch from mine, was Sesshoumaru Taisho, the world's most beautiful male. _Shite_. A distant part of my brain realized that the hands on my arm belonged to him…and that said hands felt _very_ nice. And so did his breath on my face. _His wha-?!_ That thought brought me to a lightning start and I jerked back, brought out of my stupor. _Too close, way too close, Crap, crap, crap,_ I thought incoherently.

"I'm so sorry," I spluttered, cheeks flaming. "I, um, I –"

"It's quite alright. I'm only sorry that you're so exhausted. I hated to wake you but we've arrived," was his smooth reply as he released my arms and I felt the sudden lack of warmth. Then a mischievous look lit in his golden eyes and he said in what I suspected was a teasing tone, "Ticklish are you, Ms. Higurashi?"

I had thought I couldn't possibly turn any redder. I was very wrong.

"I'll have to remember that threat for later use." He smirked. "In case I need to wake you up again another time."

_Wow_, I noted, _I bet I'm the color of a fire hydrant right about now._

He stood up, that cursed impish light still dancing merrily in his eyes, and held a hand out to help me out of the car. I accepted it, still red as a Jonathon apple. "Shall we go then?"

"I'm really sorry about that," I muttered looking down at my feet. _Left, right, left, right,_ they continued to move while really all I wanted to do was lie down on the concrete and die of embarrassment. _The fates are really being cruel today, _I mused glumly. _First nearly all of the parents were on the warpath – which with youkai parents can be particularly stressful – and then I fell asleep in the car and had to be woken up by Japan's "Number 1: Most Attractive Male" in both the business **and** entertainment categories. This just really is not my day…_ A thought struck me then, _Oh gawl, please tell me I wasn't drooling!_ I quickly brought a hand up to check the sides of my mouth for any evidence of possible mortifyingly embarrassing drool/ drool tracks. _Oh thank God there isn't any… Well that's one of the few good things that have happened today._

"I don't know why you're apologizing," he laughed merrily. "It was no inconvenience to wake you up, in fact to be quite honest, it was quite fun." I could feel his eyes on me as he paused for a moment, inhaling deeply. "Ms. Higurashi," he said gently, "there's no need to be embarrassed. You looked quite nice up close."

_I believe my face is going to be permanently red now, _I groaned, _Quick. Change the subject!_

"_So_, how do we get to this restaurant?" I asked quickly, my voice strained, as we reached the entrance of the garage. As I glanced at him briefly I saw one of his eyebrows rise in question before he replied slowly.

"It's in that tall building over there," he pointed, "On the 28th floor."

"Ok," I said turning off in the direction of the building with quick, determined steps, all the while trying to convince myself that I wasn't embarrassed. Trying to tell myself that Sesshoumaru had meant what he said, not just trying to be kind. _At least I hadn't been drooling_, I thought as I kept walking at my fast clip. Due to his height he had no trouble keeping in stride of course and I soon couldn't resist looking up at him. He must have felt my eyes on him because he turned his head to look down at me and smiled. I felt something flutter in my stomach realizing that I was the reason for that smile, and despite myself found my own lips turning up into a smile.

_Come to think of it_, I realized,_ I remember reading in an article that he's fairly well known for being blunt with his words – at least in the business world… Maybe he meant what he said…_ My smile grew and I thought, _Actually, I'm going to take 'Having Japan's Number One Attractive male wake me up' off the list of 'Crappy things that have happened today.' That's going on my 'Happy' list._

I slowed to my normal pace and asked, "So, what type of Italian food does this place have?"

"Surprise," he chuckled.

"No fair," I grumbled. "First you wake me up by threatening to tickle me and then you tease me mercilessly, and now you're refusing to tell me what type of Italian food they have? That's just very unkind of you Mr. Taisho."

"Sesshoumaru," he said, low, in that gorgeous voice of his.

"Huh?" I said, not sure I'd heard him correctly.

"Sesshoumaru," he repeated with a charming grin, "You can call me Sesshoumaru. I figure that it's only fair since, as you said, I've been very unkind tonight. Threatening to tickle you after all is a very cruel thing." His grin grew into a dazzling smile and that fluttering in my stomach came back full force.

"Well then," I sniffed haughtily, trying to calm my nerves, "It was very cruel, but since you apologized so nicely I suppose you could call me by my first name as well. But only while you're still in my favor."

"I'll keep that in mind," he said, face growing serious but eyes still dancing, and I knew he had caught my sarcasm. If he hadn't though it would have been ridiculous, my voice was positively dripping with it.

"Kagome," I said.

"Kagome," he repeated it, experimenting, seeming to roll it around on his tongue, as if to see what it felt like. Apparently he approved of the way it felt because his smile returned full force. "Well, Kagome. I guess since I've been so hard on you tonight, I suppose I could tell you a little bit about what type of food they serve," he said as we reached the door to the skyscraper.

"Oh really," I asked, eyebrow arching up inquisitively.

"Yes," he replied, eyes twinkling as he held the door open.

_He's certainly a gentleman, _I thought, suddenly recalling some of my more recent dates – not that this was a date, but still it made me think of them. A particular date with an over-zealous, possessive, rough around the edges youkai came to mind. _Whatever possessed me to finally accept his offer?_ I reflected, the whole incident still able to instill a bit of awe-struck shock in me, even after 8 months. _I guess I got tired of the stupid wolf asking me and thought that if I went out with him once that then I could get him to leave me alone once and for all… Looking back on it now though, that wasn't very solid reasoning._ I still got phone calls from him every once in a while.

As we entered the building he spoke, bringing me back to the present, "They serve…" he paused for affect.

_The cheeky bugger_, I thought. _I really need to quit reading those British novels… I mean they are really good for my English practice but honestly._

"Very delicious Italian food," he finished dramatically.

"Huh?!" I gaped at him as we came to halt in front of the elevator and he pushed the 'up' button. "I'm afraid I didn't hear you right, would you mind repeating that for me?"

"You heard me," he smirked, puckishly. "You asked me what type of Italian food and I told you 'Very delicious Italian food.'" The elevator dinged loudly as it reached the first floor and the doors slid open smoothly.

He stepped inside and I followed, glaring petulantly at his backside –_ a very nice backside at that_, the voice in my head commented lecherously.

_Focus. You are supposed to be being annoyed now – not appreciating one of his many fine attributes._

"I think I may have to slap you," I grumbled as we both turned to face the door, our backs to the back wall of the elevator. Even though I wasn't looking at him – I was busy glaring at the door – I would have bet money that one of his eyebrows rose at my words. _I have to admit, saying that to a taiyoukai is a bit on the ludicrous side of things_, I sighed.

"I told you what you wanted to know, you can't deny that," was his innocent reply.

_Ooooh,_ I steamed.

We finally reached the door and all my thoughts of retribution flew out the window when I saw the restaurant. It was too beautiful to pretend to be miffed over such a tiny thing.

It was fairly spacious, with a large bar that ran most of its length. And everything in the restaurant faced the massive windows that faced north to show the city lights of Shinjuku, a breathtaking vista to eat dinner with. To say the least I was impressed, despite the fact that it was a very cool, modern design. I tended to like warmer, old-fashioned style places myself but the view that this restaurant offered was more than an adequate remedy for what the restaurant lacked. And if the food really _was_ good like he said it was, well then – couldn't get much better, I decided.

He smiled down at me as the maître d' headed toward us from behind the reception desk. "I see you approve?"

"You could say that," I replied guardedly giving him a sidelong look, feeling a bit mischievous myself.

He just smirked.

"Two?" the maître d' asked coming to a halt before Mr. Taisho – _Sesshoumaru_.

"Yes," he replied, quickly adding, "We'd prefer a non-smoking table by the window if that could be arranged."

The maître d' looked over his shoulder and then turned back to face us, nodding, "I think we can easily arrange that, sir. Please follow me this way."

The maître d' held out a chair for me as we reached the table and as I accepted it I could feel his eyes on my body, running down my curves and racing down the length of my uncovered legs. _Perv._ _Why can't I just wear a skirt and get away with it with no lecherous looks? Why? Honestly._ I sighed and looked up to see Sesshoumaru send the man a cold glare. I heard him stiffen and then say hastily before he beat a quick retreat, "Your waiter will be with you in a minute, sir!" I noted with nothing short of smug amusement that his voice cracked in his nervousness. _Who wouldn't be nervous after getting a look like **that** from Sesshoumaru?_

Picking up the menu I snorted, shaking my head. "That was… interesting."

"Hardly," Sesshoumaru grumbled. "I'd call it pure insolence. He's supposed to be working here, not staring at your – women's – attributes." He picked up his menu and began flipping through it, brow furrowed.

I followed suit and flipping through the menu I soon felt like drooling. My very own personal stomach monster growled loudly, reminding me that it was _hungry_. The food ranged from pastas to gratin to soups and salads and it _all_ looked _very_ yummy. "Ooh," I groaned as I went through the menu a second time, looking at the pictures, still trying to figure out what to order. _It all looks so good._

"Finding it difficult to decide?" he laughed, startling me out of perusal and causing me to look up from my menu.

"Yes, just a little bit," I chuckled, shrugging. "I'm so hungry and it all looks so good."

"Pasta or something more filling?"

"Pasta, preferably with lots of cheese."

"Then, I would recommend either the Chicken Carbonara or the Shrimp Gratin," he replied showing me the pictures of both dishes in the menu.

I pursed my lips in thought for a moment and then decided, "I'll have the Shrimp Gratin then. Thanks. Now for a drink." I turned to the alcohol menu and finally decided on a Italian Muscat grape wine. I usually didn't drink wine, but with Italian food it just seemed appropriate.

A young girl approached our table a half a minute later to take our order and after she left Sesshoumaru turned to me with a small smile and said, "Well Kagome, shall we begin our parent/teacher's meeting now?"

I leaned forward and put my elbows on the table, putting my chin in my hands, "By all means." I looked outside at the city below for a moment, gathering my thoughts, as I stared at the jewels of light from the dizzying height. It hit me full force then that I was at a restaurant – in public – with Sesshoumaru Taisho. I suddenly felt a bit heady.

"Well, first I would like to say that Rin is a joy. You are really lucky to have her as a daughter – but I think you already know that," I paused giving him a smile. "She is incredibly brilliant but still innocent in ways. It's nice to see that in a child – some children these days, especially the smart ones, are jaded at an early age. I guess when I say innocent I feel she is still…" I paused trying to come up with the word that I wanted. "Rin is still full of joy and wonder, she's still full of sunshine even though she knows that the world isn't perfect. She's a wonderful pupil and never fails to make me smile. She's curious and brave but kind and gentle and always respectful. I love having her in the classroom." I finished, gesturing with my hand to show that I was open to comments.

"Thank you," he said, his eyes warm. "I'm glad to see that you can see her the same way I do. I just wish her mother could see her that way," he sighed regretfully.

"I was actually wondering about that. I read in her profile that you and your wife got divorced a year ago. How is she doing with that do you think? She told me once that she has to stay with her mother one weekend a month, but I got the distinct impression that she wasn't happy about that…" He looked uncomfortable for a moment and I realized in horror that I had, _like the world-class idiot I am- ugh_, probably just touched upon a very sore subject. "I'm sorry," I rushed, "I didn't mean to pry. I'm so sorr-"

"To be quite honest with you Kagome," he interrupted his voice subdued for the first time since I had met him, "She's _not_ happy about it. I've had a lawyer tying for the past eight months to get rid of the 'required visitation' ruling of the judge, but we've had no luck so far. I'm just grateful that I get to have custody at all," he ran a hand through his hair, looking tired. My heart went out to him then – I wanted to comfort him somehow but there was nothing I could do. He had an injury, a scar that only a person able to touch his heart could fix and I wasn't that person.

Doing the only thing I could think of I reached out and placed my hand over his, squeezing gently, and tried to convey with my eyes how much I wished I could help – no pity, just the desire to help. A proud creature like Sesshoumaru would loathe pity so out of respect I would be the last to offer it.

"Well then," I said, removing my hand from on top of his, "do you have any comments or questions for me?"

He blinked as my hand left his and after a pause said, "Well, first I would like, yet again to say 'Thank you.' Rin speaks of you often and from the sound of it you are an excellent teacher. She seems to whole-heartedly adore you, to be blunt. I'd also like to compliment you on the things you're exposing the children to; you're giving them an education that they could never get if they were only studying the textbooks. It's refreshing to see a teacher who cares so much about all aspects of her students' education. I'll admit that your methods surprised me at first – I've never heard of a 3rd grade teacher who engaged her students so much or challenged them with such difficult tasks. But you, you came in to that school and started something wonderful with those kids." He shook his head, thinking; then finished, "In short I'm extremely impressed. And grateful that Rin has such a good teacher."

I blushed at the shower of compliments and mumbled as the waiter approached our table, "You shouldn't be that impressed… I'm just doing what I love."

"Your gratin, miss," she said placing the little cast iron pot in front of me before turning to Sesshoumaru, "And your steak, sir." Pulling a bottle of the Muscat wine out of one pocket she filled my glass and then bowing said, "Enjoy your meal," as she retreated.

"Maybe," he mused, "but there are plenty of teachers who are only in it for the money." He shrugged.

"Well I just wish the other parents were as receptive to my methods," I couldn't help but sigh as I picked up my spoon and began to attack the gratin with gusto.

"What do you mean by that? What did the other parents say," he asked eyebrow quirked in puzzlement.

"They were actually quite angry – particularly about my volunteer activities." I shook my head, "I just don't understand it. They said that it was _below_ their child to be cleaning streets or raising food or money like I had them doing. That was other people's business, not theirs or their child's. It was fine for people like _me_ to be doing something so _low,_ but for **their** offspring it was preposterous. They were quite adamant about it," I sighed, shoulders drooping.

Sesshoumaru groaned and ran a hand over his face, "How terribly embarrassing. You must think that all rich people are repulsive, selfish," he paused, "and if I may so say: pricks."

I laughed dully, "If I was one to project and assume I would certainly be inclined to think that after today. Fortunately, I don't. Unfortunately, I think some of them will go the board if I don't stop." I pinched the bridge of my nose trying to stave off the headache that beginning to settle in behind my eyes as I recalled the awful afternoon. "They also seemed to think that 3rd graders were far too young to be doing volunteer work like I had them doing. It's completely nonsensical," I grumbled angrily.

"I agree with you," he said in a soothing tone, "But I have to admit. I'm curious as to your thinking behind your ideas." He put his chin in his right palm and tilted his head inquisitively.

"I believe in the children," I shrugged. "I believe that they are never too young to learn how to help, to see how it feels to help others. I also believe that if you show them that you believe in them that they can surprise you with their ideas. What better time to learn about problems and how to fix than when you are young. I think they are capable of far more than most adults give them credit. I don't think that they should be exposed to everything ugly and bad in the world – of course not. I don't aim to kill their innocence, that's the last thing I would _ever_ want to do. I do however, want to teach them about some of the things that are going on in the world, like hunger or prejudice." I paused thoughtfully, staring out the window at the twinkling lights that lay far below where we sat. "I guess 'The Butterfly Effect' is a good summation of my feelings." I paused before I quoted the phrase so dear to my heart, "The beat of a butterfly's wings, can, at a critical moment, create a disturbance that will result in the occurrence of a hurricane on the far side of the ocean." When I finally looked up he was looking at me with a strange, unreadable expression that sent a shiver up my spine. Nervously I mumbled, "No person and no action is too small to cause change…" I blushed and decided that the subject needed to be changed, fast.

"So, how has work been these days at Taisho & Sons?" I asked briskly and then shoved a spoonful of the gratin in my mouth.

That impertinent eyebrow of his rose yet again, obviously questioning the drastic subject change, but he kindly let it slide. "We are in the middle of an important business deal with a manufacturing company in China so that's what all of today's meeting were about. It's very tedious. Did you read about where I worked in Rin's profile?"

I couldn't help it, I laughed. Loudly. "Yes, I did see it there, but I already knew who you were and where you worked before the Craisin introduced us."

"Oh really?" Both eyebrows rose and then his brow furrowed in a frown.

"Sorry, but I read the news. And even if I didn't I can't lie, you've been on a lot of magazine covers so I would have at least recognized your name and face. There aren't that many youkai with that white hair and those markings – and you three are the only ones living in Tokyo," I shrugged and then smiled.

He actually looked a bit embarrassed. _Seventy percent embarrassed and 30 miffed,_ I decided.

"Oh," was all he said before he cleared his throat and said, "So, Kagome, tell me about yourself."

"Uh, oookay… What do you want to know?" I asked a bit lost.

"Well, it's only fair, you know a lot of my statistics, the hard, cold facts about me so you should start with those," he smiled.

"Alright, fair enough," I laughed. "Let's see. I'm 21. Before college I lived with my family, which consists of me, jii-chan, my mom, and my little brother Souta. I lived in Nagoya for most of my life so my natural dialect is Kansai-ben of course, and even after four years when I get excited or agitated it tends to slip out."

" My minor in college was English and one of my favorite past times is reading English novels, even though they're so expensive here. I love teaching and children. And as you already know I love volunteering. I volunteer on the weekends though too, every Saturday. My two best friends go with me when they can, but their schedules are really hectic so they can't come very often."

"I live in a small apartment that I chose because it actually allows pets. I'm hoping to save up enough to buy a husky – my favorite type of dog. I wouldn't mind having a cat either. We had lots of pets while I was growing up so I'm hooked." I shrugged. "Those are the cold, hard facts mixed in with a little bit of fluff to make it interesting," I chuckled. "That is of course if it's possible to make my life sound interesting."

He laughed, a light, happy laugh, and said, "Oh believe me Kagome, your life is quite interesting from this side of the table. You don't have anything to be worried about."

"And you?" I asked, "Give me some fluff."

"Some fluff?" he snorted. "I'm quite a bit older than you of course, but you already knew that." I nodded and he continued, "I live in a large house on the outskirts of Tokyo, just Rin and I. We've also thought about getting a dog but haven't gotten around to it yet. I enjoy spending time with my daughter, reading, excercising," he paused, a thoughtful look crossing his face.

"And long walks on the beach?" I giggled.

"With no shoes of course," he added in mock seriousness. He looked at me with those gorgeous golden eyes and I stared right back until we simultaneously burst into laughter.

"Ok, so this conversation went downhill fast," I choked. "I feel like I'm on a dateline reality show or something.'

"Hey," he laughed, "you _asked_ for fluff. So fluff is what you _get_."

End Chapter

みなさん本当にありがとうございました♫★♪☆

YAY! Fanfiction's uploading thing doesn't hate me anymore - for now at least ()v Um, so, I had to try several different signs for POV change before I finally found one that stayed after I pushed 'save changes' - so weird... the little "" doesn't work for some reasons...anyway, hopefully that will make things way easier to understand - sorry it took so long! () And thank you to monaleoht and Wilby711 for telling me about the POV problem - I probably wouldn't have noticed it for a REALLY long time since I thought they were there ()d

Also, two typos I found that I thought I should note for later: one was brought to my attention by Viet grl (thank you!) - it's not BTU but BDU for Battle Dress Uniform - I knew that but made a typo (OO) hazukashii...yada.. the other one - i keep typing these really late at night bad idea right there and for some dang reason I accidently wrote that Kagome took the bus to work - I MEANT to type "train" - I even specifically remember **_thinking _**"train" but obviously the message short-circuited on it's way to my fingers or something. So while I was putting in the POV signs I fixed that as well so my apologies and for the record she takes the train to work. (Oo)

A little note from Japan People normally don't take the bus here unless they have to as it is ridiculously expensive compared to the trains. Buses are common BUT compared to trains they are not the typical, daily mode of transportation. I only take them on typhoon days haha. I don't like getting blown backwards on my bike while it's pouring rain like a monsoon.

Anyway, I'm really sorry about all the typos - very embarrassing - and thanks so much for letting me know about everything! **And thank you guys for everything that you've said - I really appreciate it so much! **I'm really close to finishing chapter 3 so hopefully I'll get done with that soon - if the homework doesn't get too crazy. I'm not on vacation anymore - ugh - but I will do my best! O( '' O) (boxing/punching) **じゃあまたよろしくね〜！**


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: See first chapter – nothing's changed. ( '-' )v

Chapter 3: Flowers and Filth

"Oi, Sesshoumaru!" Inuyasha barked into my ear.

"Would you _refrain_ from shouting into my ear you insolent-"

"I wouldn't have to if you would listen in the first place," he growled, shaking a finger in my face. "I've been trying to get your attention for the past," he paused, checking his watch for effect, "Thirty seconds."

I snorted, showing how much I thought of me wasting 30 seconds of his time. Translation: I didn't give a squat.

"I said your name at least 5 times," he glared, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Well you have my attention now so get on with it," I waved a hand at him irritably. _He always has such bad timing,_ I thought, _I'm not in the best of moods today… _A little slip of a human woman had been wreaking havoc on my mind today… Dancing and skipping across my thoughts whenever she pleased, and she chose to do so quite often... And the result was me; distracted and irritable because I hated not being in control of things – especially my own thoughts.

Inuyasha's eyes flashed angrily and then taking a deep breath the fire was extinguished. "Tonight. The party. Father said to remind you about it. He also wanted to make sure that you have chosen a new suit; a lot of the major magazine and newspaper reporters are going to be there tonight so he said we should 'dress to impress'." He rolled his eyes, obviously as pleased as I was about the party.

"We are always dressed to impressed," I muttered, running a hand through my hair and flicking off the ends as some of them stuck. "When have we not been?"

Inuyasha snorted, "Can't say I can think of a time that we weren't."

"My point exactly." I nodded smugly,

"I have a theory," he said suddenly, a roguish light sparking in his eyes.

"Do I even want to know?" I groaned, that look being all too familiar.

"I have a suspicion," he said with gusto, willfully ignoring my question, "that we would be quite a bit more impressive if we didn't always wear these damned business suits… Maybe something more like a pair of swim trunks?" he said mischievously.

"And have _more_ women and little girls cutting our pictures out of magazines and pinning them on their walls and locker doors? You must be joking," I scoffed, my face contorting in a mask of horror. "That's, that's just morbid Inuyasha, even for you."

He just laughed, "Well, you know it's true though. We should try it out sometime," he finished with a shrug.

"Over my dead body," I turned icy eyes on him.

"Oh don't be so dramatic. It's not that bad having girls put our pictures on their walls and their locker doors. It's cute," he waved a hand, obviously dismissing my comments as unimportant.

"Cute," I choked. "Cute is puppy dogs and butterflies – not my photo as a clipping on who _knows_ how many walls and locker doors. No Inuyasha, that's just embarrassing."

"Are you telling me that there isn't _one_ woman out there, one woman, that you wouldn't mind being a clipping on her wall?" he asked, eyes dubious.

"Of course there isn't," I growled and as I blinked I saw a pair of eyes the color of the sea in sunshine, set in a kind face with a mane of hair as black as a raven's wing. _Damn it all!_

"

"

"

I picked up my cell, pushed the number 1 button on speed dial and called Kagome. After several rings she picked up sounding drowsy, "Hullo?"

"Hey, Kagome, It's me Sango," I said cheerfully, "I was just calling to remind you about the party tonight!"

"Oh," she said.

"Were you taking a nap?"

"Yes?"

"Ok, well hun, it's time to get up now. I'll be over at your place in 15 minutes to get ready, ok? So get up," I finished using my iron 'waking up Kagome' voice.

"M'k," was her mumbled reply.

"'K, see you in 15 then, bye bye," I hung up and leaned against the door of the train as it sped down the tracks, rattling past buildings covered with flashing signs and crowds of people going about their business.

"

"

"

Sango burst through my door 15 minutes after she hung up, arms full of a jumble of _stuff_. The one thing I recognized was her massive make-up case that was more like a briefcase. The other two items were on hangers and hidden by long bags of plastic so I hazarded a guess that they were our clothes for the evening. I could physically feel myself perk up as my curiosity stirred, drowsiness suddenly forgotten.

"Alright," she said breathlessly as she carelessly threw her case on my couch and adjusted the _clothes_ in her arms, smoothing out the places where they had bunched a bit in their journey from the station. "Let's do this!"

"Let me see first," I laughed, "I'm dying here Sango!"

"If you insist," she replied, eyes twinkling as she pulled the bag off the first one with a dramatic flourish.

'Oh my go-" I gasped. Her only response was to smirk and put her fists on her hips, striking a very smug pose. She had every right to, too. It was a dress. A full-length, gorgeous, black Gucci halter-top dress was lying on my couch.

"Oh my gosh, Sango, you will look so _gorgeous_ in this! Gah!" I squealed jumping up and down, simultaneously clapping my hands. "Is there a particular _someone_ you are dressing up for tonight?" I teased, giving her a knowing look.

I didn't miss the blush that flashed on her cheeks before she shook her head. "Kagome, you hyper-active dolt," she grumbled, chastising, "_That_ is _your_ dress." With a rustle of plastic she uncovered the second dress. "And _this_ is _mine_. And who in the world would _I_ need or want to impress," she growled giving me a warning look.

"Oh hush," I laughed, ignoring her fierce glare, as I looked at her dress. "Oooh," I gushed, "this one is gorgeous too. My gosh, Sango, tell me you are renting these."

She laughed, quickly forgetting my previous comment. "Are you kidding," she laughed, "Like _I _would _buy_ a Gucci dress, let alone _two_. _Soo_ don't have that kind of money. Now if money grew on trees and I had one of those trees, well then it would be a different story, now then wouldn't it?" She shrugged and continued, "A friend of mine gave me a deal on these for the evening as a 'thank you' for a story I did a few months ago." She picked up both dress, handing me mine. "Alright now, march!" she barked as she headed to my bathroom. Laughing I followed, careful to hold the dress so it didn't drag on the floor.

"

"

"

Three and a half hours later we were primped, preened, and ready to rule this mystery party – well Sango knew what it was, but I was still pretty much in the dark. I was in the dark with a candle; I knew it was a formal party and that was about it. But I was feeling particularly pampered and gorgeous for the moment so my mood was giddily optimistic. Whatever party it was I was going to thoroughly enjoy myself tonight. What could be better than going to a party with your friends and maybe looking fabulous while you were at?

"

"

"

"Where are you going tonight Dad," Rin asked after the buzzer rang and the voice of the baby-sitter sounded over the intercom.

"I have to go to that annual business party tonight, remember sweetheart?" I sighed as I pushed the button to unlock the front gate.

"Oh, yeah, the one that you always hate so much?" she laughed, the edges around her big brown eyes crinkling in her amusement. "I think you may even hate it more than the others. Right?"

"I would have to say that I think you hit the nail on the head, dear," I laughed as I leaned down to give her a kiss on both cheeks. "Now behave for Ms. Takeda and be sure that you are in bed by 9 alright?" I gave her a pat on the head and then stood tall, straightening my jacket. "How do I look?" I asked smiling.

"Very handsome," she said solemnly looking at me. "Try to have a little fun Dad," she smiled.

"I'll do my best," I laughed dryly. "Although I don't know how much that will help," I shrugged and she merely giggled.

"I love you Dad."

"I love you too, Rin," I smiled down at her, "Well I have to go now sweety or I'll be late so I'll come in and check on you when I get back, ok?"

"Ok, good night Dad, be safe," she smiled that brilliant smile of hers that I loved so much.

"Good night Rin," I smiled back as I turned to the door and simultaneously letting the sitter in, walked out, waving goodbye.

Thirty minutes later found me in bumper-to-bumper, Friday night, Downtown Tokyo traffic. _For crying out loud, I could walk and get there faster than this_, I grumbled. _First parking place I find, I'm turning into it._ Slowly the cars crawled down the street as the seconds turned into minutes and the danger of being late crept closer and closer. _Not that **I** would **mind** being late but I can think of someone who would mind,_ I groaned and clenched and unclenched my hands on the steering wheel, careful not smash it.

Forty-five minutes later found me racing by foot, from a parking ramp, towards the tall skyscraper that was in front of the large, luxurious Hotel where the Banquet Party was being held. Every year the major businesses in Tokyo got together at this ridiculous party that was nothing more than a way to get more publicity for the company, a flexing of muscles, and for some individuals an excuse to get drunk and partake in more _irresponsible _or _risqué_ activities. Those things, of course, were usually done outside of the Banquet Hall as basically every major and minor magazine and newspaper that had anything to do with business was invited to the party. Their attendance was key for the whole "company publicity" part, so the individuals who wanted to go wild usually took it to one of the Hotel rooms where they could get away from the eyes and cameras of the press.

Arriving in a very short time and wondering why I hadn't tried parking sooner, I ran a hand through my hair and then walked through the door that the valet held open for me as he bowed low. The lobby was elegantly decorated in the western style with a massive gilded chandelier and a large carved dark-wood table with carved lion paws for the bottom of the legs. On said table was a massive bouquet of flowers tastefully arranged and ranging from various types of orchids to lilies to sprigs of unique leaves and branches. A clerk ran out to greet me, bowing low, and saying, "If you would please follow me, sir."

The Banquet Hall took up the entire 5th floor but was already getting crowded. This room was also lavishly decorated. Gold and crystal chandeliers hung in a row down the middle of the ceiling, long gold mirrors with elaborate designs hung on the walls at intervals and in between them there was occasionally an expensive replica of a famous classic European artist. The whole appearance of the room was slightly Baroque and in short, was quite an odd thing to find in the middle of Tokyo, I decided. I knew that in Tokyo places like this existed but, being as old I was, it was still always a bit of shock to see them.

The minute I walked through the door, escorted by the clerk, my father seemed to find me. With quick, long strides he headed in my direction as the clerk faded back out into the hallway. "Sesshoumaru," he said in that booming voice of his and I wanted to wince as all eyes turned to focus on me. Instead I kept my cool, disinterested, bored look on my face and resigned myself to the terrible fate of a long evening at the year's most annoying party. _An evening of pure torture as always_…

"Son," my father laughed as he drew up alongside me, throwing an arm around my shoulder in a companionable fashion, "I'm glad that you could make it on time; I was afraid you were going to be late," he chuckled merrily. My father really had such a sunny disposition, so very odd for such a brilliantly successful businessman; over the years they usually got hard and bitter and…obsessive and greedy. Father on the other hand was still as fresh as a newbie even though he practically ran a small empire and had done so for years upon years. He loved business; it was so obvious that he did when he came into the office every morning with that irritating bounce in his step and that ludicrous grin on his face calling out in his booming bass, "Alright everyone, let's do our best again today!"

"I would only be late if I wanted to be fashionably late and by doing so get more attention from the press," I replied glumly.

"Perhaps you should have," he chuckled. "Not that you ever need to do anything to get the press's attention Sesshoumaru. They're already all staring at you as it is." He gave my shoulder a squeeze, one of his ways of showing me that he was proud of me. If he had been anyone other than my father, years ago I would have decided that the only reason he had me in the company was as a physical icon, a model to draw interest, a body that made people take notice. I knew though that wasn't the reason why, he loved both Inuyasha and I, and he wanted to share with us his passion: business. He also loved the attention that we got because he saw it as a compliment to his two beloved boys, which he would always see us as, no matter how old we got. I tried not to snort at the thought.

We finally came to a stop at a circle of people that included Inuyasha dressed to the nines, just like everyone else at the party. I didn't miss however, the _particular_ looks that the three of us were attracting. While that was normal it never ceased to be slightly disconcerting to me. I felt like a specimen in a museum or like something under a microscope.

I nodded in greeting to the group of people as we stopped at Inuyasha's side and quickly began scanning the occupants of the room, looking for _anything_ that looked slightly interesting. Although standing next to Inuyasha usually at least guaranteed an interesting yet albeit irritating conversation I wasn't in the mood for that tonight. I wanted something _more_ interesting. Suddenly a galling little sprite of a woman danced across my thoughts unbidden and I nearly growled out loud.

Finding nothing interesting I sighed, resigning myself to my fate. _It's going to be a long night,_ I griped looking at my watch. _Eight o'clock. It's only been a minute since I got here. Someone,_ I thought, begging, _please just shoot me now and put me out of my misery…at least for a few minutes before my body fixes itself…_

"

"

"

The place we arrived at 15 minutes later was positively the most gorgeous, ritzy Hotel that I think I had ever seen in my entire life. Its whole design was very European with an emphasis on the Baroque style and I couldn't help but gape, my mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water after we entered the lobby.

"Man," Sango laughed, slipping out of her coat and handing it to the clerk, "I am so glad that we decided to take the train – did you _see_ that traffic jam outside?" She shook her head laughing, "I wonder how many of the businessmen will be late because they tried to drive here."

"Yeah," I said distractedly, still staring at the beautiful surroundings.

"Even the rich get caught in traffic," she chuckled and then turned to look at me. "Kagome," she said dryly, "You look like the fish that my grandpa used to catch when we would go on vacation to Nikko and go fishing at Lake Chuzenji."

I closed my gaping maw with a snap and physically gave myself a shake. "Sorry," I muttered blushing slightly, "It's just _so_ gorgeous. I feel like I've stepped into another world."

Sango leaned over the table to smell the arrangement sitting in the middle. I scuttled across the marble floor to join her as she remarked, "Wait until you see the room the party is in."

I breathed in deeply through my noise and sighed happily at the heavenly scent that floated in the air around the magnificent flowers. Then I giddily began counting the number of different orchids the bouquet held. I loved flowers, but I didn't know much about the different types of orchids, especially not the rare ones. This bouquet was full of them; I counted at least ten types ranging in color from dove white to soft pinks to rich purples. And then of course there were the lilies, and oh they were lovely specimens. The beautiful double bloom Lily Elodie was one of my personal favorites and I was happy to see that it was one of the main flowers of the bouquet. The others ranged from the white Lily Santander to the creamy yellow Cherbourg and for splashes of color and interesting textures they had added an ample amount of the white, pink, and pink-red Guernsey Lilies as well as pink-purple Toad lilies – another one of my favorites. _Oh,_ I thought happily, _they even have the Lily Suncrest, that new type of hybrid. My gosh, it's positively stunning… I wonder where I could get one… I think I'll get on the Internet tonight and –_

"Um, Kagome," Sango coughed, "You might want to get your head and your hands out of the Hotel's bouquet," she glanced nervously at the people standing behind the front desk. "They're starting to look angry."

"

"

I breathed a sigh of relief when Kagome jumped away from the bouquet as if it had turned into a blazing bonfire. _That girl and her fascination with flowers_, I shook my head, _I'll never understand it._

"Where the heck is Miroku," I growled, tapping my heeled foot on the marble floor impatiently. "He's," I checked the clock on my cell phone, "late," I stated glumly.

"How late?" she asked coming up beside me and trying to peer over my shoulder to see my phone.

"Ten minutes," I said pressing the number 2 button on speed dial. The phone rang once before he picked it up.

"Sorry!" was the first, breathless word that rushed out of his mouth as I started to open mine to yell at him.

I growled, "Where the heck are you? You got off work the same time _I_ did and there is _no way_ that you would have needed more time to get ready than _us_."

"The suit that I rented – the store accidentally let it out to another customer so they had to arrange for me to get a different one. They rented one for me from a more expensive place so I really got a great deal but it put me behind schedule. I'm sorry," he groaned. "I'll be there in three minutes. Can I talk to Kagome for a second," he asked suddenly.

"Fine," I growled, "I'll chew you out for being an idiot later." I passed my phone to Kagome who looked like she was about to laugh. _She has the luxury of being able to laugh; she's just here for fun. I'm here partly for fun, too, but I don't like being late when I'm supposed to be writing stories about this party... Miroku, I'm going to choke you when you get here._

"

"

I took the phone from Sango and tried not to break out into giggles. I could practically see the steam shooting out of her ears. "Yes, Miroku, what can I do you for?"

"When I get there, save me?" he begged. "Whatever you do, please don't let her kill me."

"Ok, why should I do that?" I said coolly, relishing the temporary teasing power I held over my friend for once. Usually it was him teasing me, so I always loved it when it was the other way around.

"Because it wasn't my fault that the rental place gave my suit to the wrong shop and had to bring in a new one from another shop at the last minute," he grumped.

"Why did you wait till the last minute to go pick it up though," I asked, chuckling.

"Because the stupid shop told me I could come pick it up at 7 and that I could put it on there so they could make sure that I had everything on right," he continued to grumble petulantly.

"Ok, fair enough," I laughed. "I agree. Now, see you soon?"

"Two minutes," I can see the Hotel now. Thanks Kagome, you're a live saver, and I mean that quite literally."

"I know, what can I say," I smirked. "See you in a few then." I hung up the phone, snapping it closed and handing it back to Sango.

"Go easy on him when he gets here sweetheart, it really wasn't his fault," I said, laying a hand on her rigid shoulder.

Her shoulders sagged, relaxing as she let out a deep breath of pent up air. "I know," she paused shaking her head, "I just, well you know how I hate being late," she shrugged. "I feel like I'm going to miss some big scoop while we are standing down here in the lobby waiting for him."

"Well if you want to be angry at _someone_ then be angry at the ridiculous rental shop that gave his suit to someone else," I laughed. "Talk about crappy, crappy luck."

She snorted then, "No kidding. I wonder how his more expensive replacement will look?" she grinned broadly.

"Oh and wouldn't you just _love_ to see him in it, too!" I teased and laughed as her cheeks turned crimson and I knew she had been imagining him in a suit.

"Are you kidding," she spluttered, voice high, cheeks red, "I couldn't give a rat's as-"

"I'm here, I'm here," Miroku burst through the door shouting, chest heaving slightly. Obviously the poor man had been running.

"Besides," Sango muttered under her breath, all traces of the blush gone, "It's not like I haven't seen him in a suit before."

_Yeah, yeah. You make your excuses you goof,_ I thought giddily. _It's so obvious that you are attracted to each other. For crying out loud get on with it!_ I of course didn't miss the subtle looks that they gave each other, each one pretending not to care or notice how the other one looked. However, the attraction practically crackled in the air, at least from my position as a third party individual. It took all of my will power not to laugh and I suddenly saw a mental image of the two of them abruptly staring deeply into each other's eyes, running the length of the lobby, Sango throwing herself into his waiting arms, and then the two of them _finally_ kissing passionately. Which I knew they both wanted to do, very badly… The kissing part anyway – maybe not so much the dramatic things before the kiss.

"Alright, let's go already," Sango said, lips twitching as she tried not to smile, and turned on her lovely black heels, striding towards the elevator at the far side of the lobby.

I didn't miss the appreciate look Miroku gave her backside as she walked away from us. I didn't blame him.

In her fitted, red silk, floor-length, halter dress that tied behind the neck, and exposed her back until just above the point where it would have been inappropriate, she looked like a gorgeous black haired goddess. Her hair was pinned up in a massive, intricate bun with a few diamond pins for added effect and long three strand diamond earrings adorned her ears while a simple diamond and silver bracelet wrapped around her wrist. She looked positively stunning and Miroku obviously agreed with my assessment as he barely kept himself from drooling. I tried not to snort in my amusement. _They are two cute, but seriously am I going to have to start playing cupid? They are circling each other and doing nothing and having been doing so for years - it's driving me **insane**. They should already be **married** or at **least** going out by now,_ I grumbled.

"

"

"

_Eight thirteen,_ I thought glumly as I tried to make myself focus on the short, rotund, male reporter that was trying to carry on a conversation with me - his high voice and his overpowering cologne grating on my nerves. _It's only been 14 minutes. It feels more like 3 hours at least…_

"So what do you think about the new products that Hayashi released to the public yesterday?" he was asking in that high, squeaking voice that reminded me of nails on a chalkboard.

"Hayashi." I questioned distractedly. _Go away, just go away you miserable little man,_ I begged.

"Naraku Hayashi of Nejireta Technologies?" he asked incredulously. "You _have_ heard of him of course," he continued to scoff.

Before deigning to reply to the insolent, pudgy little man I brought my right hand elegantly up in front of my face and taking my thumb and my forefinger and putting them parallel in front of my eyes I took his head between those two fingers and _squeezed_. Gleefully, for a few seconds, I entertained myself with my imaginings of me squishing his annoying little head between my fingers, before I finally spoke up in a cold, disdainful tone, dropping my hand to my side. "Yes, I have heard of Mr. Hayashi. And I did know about the release of his new computer products yesterday. I also heard that Mac and PCs are both looking to approach him about incorporating his new chip into their next line of computers. But you see Mr.…" I paused to read his nametag, "Satou, that I hardly care. Now if you will excuse me," I finished and without waiting for his permission turned on my heel and disappeared into the crowd as I attempted to make my way to the entrance without being caught. _Only fifteen minutes and I'm already in need of a breather. Not going very well,_ I groused.

Ten feet from the closest entrance I felt a stirring at the far end of the room near the second entrance. Instinctively my eyes flew to the scene of the disturbance and I felt my breath stutter as my brain came to a screeching halt from disbelief.

A group of three had obviously just entered the room, a man and two women, and was very quickly at the center of attention. The particular woman that caught my attention, however, was at the head of the group, wearing a floor-length, skin-tight, black halter-top dress that exposed her entire back while a long slit ran up the left side of the skirt and exposed a long, slender leg. It shimmered in the light of the room and highlighted all of her curves in a way that left little to the imagination but managed to still be tasteful. Hair, black as ink, surrounded her face and cascaded past her shoulders in thick, soft curls, and a pair of silver and diamond earrings hung from her ears while a thick, round, silver bracelet hung beautifully on her delicate wrist. A pair of simple black stiletto heels adorned her dainty feet, adding to the entire 'sexy yet elegant' appearance.

_Wha-_? was the first slightly coherent thought that my dumbfounded mind finally produced, followed by a _Why is **she** here,_ which in turn was followed by a _Thank God **she** is here!_ On the heels of my third coherent thought another thought followed, _Damn it all, but she looks stunning. _This thought, of course, caused me to remember that her group of three was the group that was causing the disturbance in the room. And that was when I noticed all the appreciative stares that often leaned toward the lecherous side of the staring spectrum. I quickly found that I did not like all of those nosy reporters and rich businessmen staring lecherously and hungrily at my little girl's beloved teacher. Not one bit.

Squaring my shoulders, I strode alongside the wall toward the second entrance, avoiding the annoyingly concentrated groups that occupied the rest of the room, my long legs eating up the distant in a short time. Just as I opened my mouth to say her name a tall, black haired man with dark, hungry eyes, and a wicked smile stepped smoothly out of the crowd and took her fragile, pale hand in his large, disgusting one. With great gentleness he brought her quivering hand up to his lips and purred, "Naraku Hayashi. May I ask, lovely lady, what your name is?"

I felt a furious growl growing, bubbling up inside my chest, fighting desperately for release.

"

"

"

As we walked into the room, Miroku as close to Sango as he could get without getting slapped in the face, I was even more awe-struck than I had been in the lobby. _As it should be_, I thought giddily, _that would be sad if the lobby was better than their Banquet Hall, but **this**, this is like a palace… Or like something out of a movie. It's absolutely lovely, _I sighed happily, keeping my mouth firmly clamped shut – _no fish out of water reenactment for all the pretty people now -_ but my eyes wide as I soaked in the surroundings. The people in the room were almost as beautiful as the room itself if not almost as dazzling. Everyone was dressed to the nines, wearing suits, dresses, and accessories that you saw in Armani, Gucci, Prada, Coach, and Versace stores and catalogues. I was suddenly even more appreciate of the two gorgeous Gucci dresses that Sango had managed to get for the night. I wasn't usually one to care about designer clothes – as long as they looked good I was happy – but being thrown into a room of peacocks and jeweled song birds I found myself very happy that I was _also_ dressed like a songbird instead of as a sparrow or something just as… unexceptional.

_Even though sparrows have a little somethin' somethin' going on in their own way,_ I thought defensively as we continued walking into the room. I suddenly became painfully aware of the scrutiny we were receiving from the occupants of the Hall. The feeling of countless pairs of eyes running up and down my body was almost enough to make me faint from nerves. And just when, surprised and confused, I thought I felt a familiar overpowering presence nearing our position near the entrance a tall man with a pale face, long wavy black hair, and sinister, disconcerting eyes detached himself from the crowd like a snake crawling out from underneath a rock and the hair on the back of my neck bristled. With a liquid motion, like a shadow on a dark night, he came to stand in front of me and slightly to the side, his dark eyes focusing on me as he took my right hand in his massive one, and the hairs on the back of my neck to stood straight up, goose pimples prickled my skin and an unpleasant shiver ran down my bare back like ice water trickling down my skin. My stomach grew slightly nauseous as his lips pressed themselves against the back of my hand for far longer than they needed to be. And then looking up at me, that repulsive mouth of his smirking, he spoke, causing more shivers to shoot up and down the length of my spine, "Naraku Hayashi. May I ask, lovely lady, what your name is?" He was practically purring with his over-blown ego and bursting with self-confidence as he continued to hold my hand captive in his.

_I think I'm going to be sick,_ I thought as I met his eyes and felt myself being pulled into the sick, swirling masses. I noted distantly that a strange hush had come over the previously boisterous crowd and I wished desperately that someone would save me so that I was spared the torture of being forced to tell this repulsive man my name, as the rules of being polite demanded. _I dearly loathe those rules at the moment,_ I decided angrily. _Damned rules._

He was waiting I realized, as was the rest of the room, and I frantically tried to quell the uneasy fluttering in my stomach. _If only I could get my hand back, _I whined. _I want to take a shower, now. I feel…**dirty**,_ I thought shuddering.

Just as I was trying to pry my mouth open to give my name as the rules dictated I must, a familiar voice like the finest silk and velvet flowing over a dangerous edge of steel broke the deafening silence, "Naraku," he said coming to stand next to the putrid man and I realized that I _had_ felt a familiar presence earlier; _his_ unmistakable aura. And he had never looked more beautiful, "Already accosting another girl? Only a week since you assaulted the last one, tsk, tsk. Your mother must be rolling in her grave."

The hand holding mine twitched and clenched painfully tight around mine, causing an involuntary wince to appear on my face, as several veins jumped in his neck and forehead. "We all _know_," he growled, a dangerous note in voice, once again reminding me of a poisonous snake, "that the case you speak of was in actuality a false accusation which I was cleared of in court two days ago."

"And how many lawyers and judges did you have to pay off to get that verdict to pass," Sesshoumaru asked coolly, eyes as deadly cold as an Artic storm. "Now, if you would so _kindly_ release her hand, you are cutting of the circulation," he said, that dangerous edge coming back full force in his voice and even the abominably putrid creature that held my hand in his clutches could not deny him his request. With a growl he released my hand and as he left, looking over his shoulder, he sent Sesshoumaru a look of pure loathing that was reflected right back at him by eyes the color of the Sun.

"

"

"

Both Sango and I watched in stupefied shock as Naraku Hayashi seemed to materialize out of the mass of bodies and captured Kagome's poor, innocent hand in his large, believed to be very naughty, hand. Everyone in the media world knew all about the rumors and strange incidences that seemed to surround the owner of Nejireta Technologies, and all of them were nothing short of disgusting, strange, and disturbing. The man oozed malevolence and was nothing short of revolting to anyone that had a clue and/or wasn't blinded by the wealth and power the man held.

Horrified to the point of immobility we watched as he took the hand he held and kissed it with his dirty lips and asked for her name. A part of my brain started screaming, _No, no, Kagome! Don't give him your name, this is one of those times where you **can**_ _be impolite!_ Knowing though, that our dear, sweet, little Kagome was probably ignorant about this man and would undoubtedly choose this time and place to be polite, I attempted to kick myself into action. Just as I finally managed to take a step toward her another tall man, this one also all too familiar but in a very positive way, came to stand next to Naraku and said in a voice like steel and ice, "Naraku, already accosting another girl? Only a week since you assaulted the last one, tsk, tsk. Your mother must be rolling in her grave."

I nearly fainted. I'm not too proud to admit it. The push and pull of power roiling and lashing between those two was enough to make even the bravest of men want to crawl in a hole and hide. They were like polar opposites, both incredibly powerful, and opposites sides of the balance, one dark and sinister; the other ice and light.

The conversation and the exchanging of looks that followed would have been a great news clip that anyone would have given an arm and a leg for, but nobody wanted to give up their life for the chance to entangle themselves with such volatile, powerful men by filming their confrontation. The tension in the room was pulling tighter and tighter and was nearing the breaking point when Sesshoumaru finally spoke in a voice that even the likes of Naraku could not disobey; with a growl he left the open space the crowd had created and surrounded by his black aura melted into the mass of people. Not without, of course, sending Sesshoumaru one final hate filled look which, I noted a little giddily, Sesshoumaru threw back at him tenfold. The man was truly an impressive sight to behold.

A heard a loud sigh of relief from beside my arm and looked down to see Sango looking exhausted. "_That_," she said, voice flat, "was something else."

"And _that_ comment my dear," I replied, taking advantage of the opportunity I was being given and slipped my arm through Sango's to lend her support, "is the understatement of the year."

"Oh yes, but you see," she said, either unaware of, or disinterested, in the arm that was suddenly looped through hers, "I think that it's understatement-ness makes it all the more profound."

"Understatement-ness?" I scoffed. "Sango, you can't just start making up new words like that."

"Who says," she huffed. "Wait a minute, what are we doing here even _discussing_ this? We should be checking on Kagome."

Guiltily I started from the enjoyable banter with Sango to turn my attentions back to Kagome… Who despite everything looked quite all right, in fact if I had to make an educated guess from the scene in front of me I would say that she was more than _all right_.

"Oh," Sango asked. "Never mind," she giggled. "It seems like part of our surprise has found Kagome and is keeping her company: success!" she smiled broadly and I had to resist the urge to slip my arm around her waist. When she smiled like that… Or laughed… Or cried… Or sighed… Ok, ok, so when she _breathed_ or did anything _else_ I wanted to hold her close or kiss her or _something, anything._ It had always been difficult but since we had started working together at Tokyo Beat several months ago it had become insanely difficult and I sometimes felt like I was going to go insane. And what was worse was that when I had walked into the lobby of the hotel just a few minutes earlier I had realized a truly horrible or wonderful thing depending on how you looked at it: I had fallen in love with Sango.

"

"

"

After I had finished sending Naraku my best, "I will kill you faster than you can blink if you cross my path ever again," glare I turned my attention back to the little woman that had been trampling through my thoughts all day like a careless child tromps through a field of wild flowers. I was suddenly reminded of my earlier aggravation that she was responsible for. It flashed across my thoughts for all of a tenth of a split second before it was brushed aside like useless garbage. All that mattered was that she was here, was no longer being _touched_ by that disgusting bastard Naraku, and had saved me from a night of torture and boredom.

_Wait a minute, what **is** she doing here?_ I thought; confused as I again realized how odd the current situation really was. _She's the **last** person that I **ever** would have expected to see here._

I was about to say as much when with sparkling eyes, she opened that beautiful mouth of hers and said in her sweet voice, "Thank you _so_ much, Sesshoumaru." She placed one of her small hands on my arm and leaned against it for support. It was then I noticed she was shaking ever so slightly.

"Are you all right?" I asked, an immediate wave of worry sweeping over me for the second time in a matter of minutes. "You're shaking."

She laughed nervously as she tried visibly to steel herself. "You have **no** idea _how_ glad I was to see you then. Not to say that I'm not always glad to see you, but well, this time I was _exceptionally_ glad," she said and looked up me smiling, albeit still a bit shakily. I felt an immediate, strong urge to wrap my arms around her fragile frame to stop her shaking. I of course, brutally squashed said urge, stamping it with my "Ridiculous thought" stamp and throwing into the garbage bin that seemed to be unusually full after a day of thinking almost non-stop about the woman who now leaned against my arm. _Insufferable, traitorous thoughts,_ I growled sourly.

"So what are you doing here?" she asked as she looked up at me, eyes recovering more of their typical curious light.

I couldn't help it. I laughed. Loudly.

At her puzzled look I realized that she hadn't been joking. "Oh," I stuttered, buying time, "I, um, had to be here." I shrugged as if that was a good enough explanation.

"Ookay, but _why_ do you have to be here?" she asked with a frown, "What is this a party for anyway? Is it a business party? Because that would make a whole lot of sense."

"You didn't see all of the signs in the Lobby that said 'Annual Tokyo Elite Business Party'?" I asked, quirking an eyebrow dubiously.

She had the sense to blush a little then before she muttered so quietly that in the noisy din of the Hall _I _could barely hear, "I didn't see them because I was busy looking at the bouquet in the middle of the lobby."

"Oh really? It _was_ a very nice bouquet, wasn't it?" I laughed suddenly and leaning down close to her face I inhaled deeply and asked, "Is that perhaps why you smell strongly of orchids and lilies of various types and colors?"

She turned that lovely red that I had seen the previous night and it took all my will power not to grin like an idiot. She was too adorable when she turned red like that.

"No comment, then?" I asked when she continued to say nothing after staring at me wide eyed for a few seconds, cheeks still flaming. "So then, my turn Kagome, what are _you_ doing here at this party capturing everyone's attention?"

The blush disappearing rapidly to my disappointment she said with a shy smile, "Well, my friends Miroku and Sango – the ones I came in here with – work at Tokyo Beat and invited me to come as a surprise… Although I'm not exactly sure why." She laughed and with a shrug continued, "But I'm more than happy for the chance to dress up and see a place as beautiful as this, even though I don't get the point of inviting me to a businessmen and women's party."

"Well whatever their thinking was," I smiled down at her, "you have no idea how glad _I_ am to see _you_."

"Huh," she said unintelligently, eyes confused.

"Every year I die of boredom from these outlandish parties that are nothing more than publicity stunts and trying to get a glimpse at the competition. It's usually packed with people that I could maybe stand to be with for a maximum of five minutes, not 3 hours or more," I explained patiently.

The lights still didn't come on, "Ok, that _does_ sound awful. But why exactly are you happy to see me?"

_Shite_, I thought frantically, _I didn't think I would have to actually spell it out for her… That will be painfully embarrassing… Why in the world is she being so dense? Maybe it's from the trauma of being attacked by Naraku, the dirty sleez. Yes, that must be it,_ I decided. _Unfortunately that does not solve the predicament that I'm in._

My father, thankfully, saved me from embarrassing myself by being truthful to the dear woman. "Sesshoumaru," he boomed as he split the crowd to reach us, "what was that all about with Hayashi?"

"He was treating Ms. Higurashi in an inappropriate manner," I explained coolly, turning to face him. "I was merely letting him know that he was being inappropriate."

"Ah, I see," he paused and turned to look down at her from his considerable height, "And your relation to Ms. Higurashi is?"

"I'm Rin's teacher," she spoke up startling both of us with her quick answer. She smiled apologetically, bowing slightly and added formally, "I'm terribly sorry if I was an inconvenience, but I truly do appreciate his help as I was most uncomfortable around that man."

My father, for once, looked a bit shell shocked, if I did say so myself.

Unfortunately, Higurashi obviously felt like she was intruding or _something…_ or maybe she was just embarrassed by everything that had happened since she had stepped through the doorway. Whatever it was, she quickly withdrew her hand from my arm – and I noticed with no small amount of aggravation that I wanted that hand to come back, **_now_** – and bowing once again said, "Excuse me, I should leave you two alone," and with that she slipped away.

Before I could stop myself I sent my father a glare. He may have saved me from embarrassing myself but he had just made my ray of hope run off. _This won't do,_ I growled, _for the first time in all the years I've attended this snoozefest I have the chance of enjoying myself. I'm most certainly not going to let that chance just waltz away… Despite the fact that while said chance is waltzing away it **is** giving me a wonderful view of it's glorious backside. _I growled in frustration at the treacherous train of thought.

"

"

"

I hurried away as fast I could from Sesshoumaru and his father, mentally berating myself for causing Sesshoumaru so much trouble. He had saved me, yes, but had probably gotten himself into trouble for it. _I should have just stood up for myself_, I thought angrily as I searched for Miroku and Sango amongst the crowd. _Where the heck are those two? Gah! This is such a mob,_ I grumped before continuing my previous train of thought, _I should have just told that creepy, creepy man to 'go stick where the sun don't shine' but **no**. No, I had to go and be a **chicken**. _A mental image of the man suddenly flashed in front of my mind's eye and I felt the hair on my neck rise and the goose pimples prick my skin once again. _Or maybe I had a good reason to be a chicken_, I finally concluded, _there is just something very **wrong** about that man. He's more than just repulsive, he… he seems to ooze with **malevolence**… If I never see him again after tonight I will be more than eternally grateful, _I thought, speaking my thoughts to the heavens.

That settled I continued my search for Miroku and Sango who I soon found at the bar. _Of course_, I thought trying not to giggle, _they both need a drink to drown their mutual attraction so they can act like they don't like each other. The dolts._

Coming up behind them silently, stopping just a hairsbreadth behind both of their shoulders I asked loudly, "So why exactly did you guys invite me to the 'Annual Tokyo Elite Business Party'?"

With a yelp Sango nearly dropped her martini as she gave a violent start and Miroku was little better, choking on his Long Island Ice Tea and coincidently spraying it all over a waitress as she walked past. "Gah!" Sango gasped, "Don't' _scare_ me like that 'Gome! What're you trying to do, kill us both?!"

I just doubled over in laughter, unable to help myself. As I wheezed, I heard the steady _thump - thump_ of Sango's hand hitting Miroku's back as he continued to choke a bit. "My apologies," I finally managed to gasp, "It's just... haha! So much fun to _do_ that to you two!" A loud laugh burst from my lips one more time before I finally got a small amount of control over myself.

"Well, I seem to remember," Miroku coughed, "That you never like it when I sneak up on _you_."

"That," Sango said dryly, "would be because you used to have a very bad habit when we were in college, if I remember correctly… Who wouldn't be afraid of _you_ sneaking up on them?"

Miroku blushed, and I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing again. "So, could you please answer my previous question," I finally managed to ask, barely resisting the urge to tease Miroku unmercifully. The only reason I did resist it was because I was dying to find out _why_ my two best friends had brought me with them to a party for businessmen/woman and the press.

"What if we said no," Miroku asked, coughing one last time to clear his throat, and finally straightening to take a quick sip from his drink.

"Then I would be most put out with you," I growled threateningly.

"I think I could live with that," he grinned broadly. "No more heart attacks, right, Sango?"

"Yeah, that sounds nice," she agreed pulling the toothpick with its olive out of the glass and plopping it in her mouth. I didn't miss the way Miroku was suddenly very focused on that mouth and how his eyes grew slightly unfocused. As soon as he brought himself out of his stupor I gave him a subtle look that said very clearly, "I saw you. Now tell me if you want me to keep my mouth shut."

He gulped and then with the sigh of a martyr finally said, "We thought it would be a fun opportunity for you to see Sesshoumaru Taisho away from work."

"What?!" I spluttered in a loud voice that caused several people to turn and stare. Calming myself, and lowering my voice I repeated in a hiss, "What?!"

"Hey now," Sango shook a finger in my face, "before you go ballistic remember what you told us in the car after your first day at work?"

My jaw clicked shut as my thoughts stopped dead in their tracks, met with this unexpected challenge. "Um…"

She rolled her eyes and hissed under her breath, "You said that he was 'stunning' and that you were 'actually looking forward to parent/teacher's conferences'."

'So," Miroku smirked, "When we got the assignment to come to this party we decided that it was the perfect opportunity to give you the chance to get gussied up, have fun in a gorgeous setting, and maybe if we were really lucky, get to spend a little time with Mr. Stunning."

I opened my mouth, decided that his words deserved some sort of tart reply, but nothing came to mind and it closed shut with another audible click. After two more times of opening and closing my mouth I realized I was looking like a fish again and finally settled for a not so impressive reply, "_You_, you two…" I said, my voice somewhere between a hissed growl and a whine, "Are far to scheming and meddling for your own good."

Sango's response was to laugh. "You seemed to be pretty happy to see him a few minutes ago."

"Who _wouldn't_ be happy to see Sesshoumaru, especially while they were being manhandled by a walking, talking pile of vile, nuclear waste? Who wouldn't be happy to see him period? That however is _not_ the point!" I crossed my arms over my chest. "Because I came to this party, had the rotten bad luck of getting manhandled by aforementioned pile of nuclear waste, I managed to get Sesshoumaru into trouble," I finished with a groan.

"Are you saying you wished you hadn't come," Sango asked, looking disappointed and I couldn't find it in myself to stay upset.

"No," I sighed, shoulders sagging as I picked up a hand full of the soft skirt in my hand and gazed at the dress appreciatively. "I don't, I'm sorry. I guess I'm just a little frazzled after my run in with the epitome of male coodies." I paused and looked up at both of them smiling, "Thank you for inviting me to come with you. And thank you, Sango, for commandeering this gorgeous dress," I winked at her, "So, let's just have fun for the rest of the night!"

"There's our girl," Miroku smiled and patted my arm playfully, "Now let's get you a drink at the bar."

"

"

"

As soon as I was able to break away from my father I began the endeavor of trying to find her scent in a room of people who were all wearing perfume and cologne, and more often than not, too much of it. I had to really concentrate to find it and when I did I caught sight of her on the far side of the room by the bar. I had covered half the distant between us when a playful voice said, "Hey Sesshoumaru, I see you seem to actually be having an entertaining evening here for once."

"Well it would certainly be a pleasant change Inuyasha," I grumbled.

"So who is the babe that you and Hayashi were having a power struggle over?" he asked, playing nonchalant, disinterested. _The twerp_.

I snorted haughtily, "I don't know if you could call verbal sparring with that twisted weakling a 'power struggle'."

Inuyasha laughed, "Fine whatever you say, Sesshoumaru, but you can't change the subject before you answer my question. Who was the hotty?"

"Please," I said sighing and reaching a hand up to pinch the bridge of my nose as I tried to stop my encroaching headache, "Refrain from addressing her as 'the hotty' and 'the babe' or any other ridiculous term you can come up with in that sad little mind of yours."

The infuriating sibling of mine merely smirked and said, "Fine, then tell me _who_ she is and _why_ exactly I shouldn't call her by those types of terms?"

I rolled my eyes, eager to be done with the conversation, "She is Rin's teacher."

"Say what?" he asked, eyebrows shooting up to hide behind his white bangs.

"You heard me," I replied giving him a condescending look.

"No offense, but what the heck is a 3rd grade teacher, let alone the _infamous_ 'Higurashi-sensei', doing at this party?" he asked incredulously and I actually let myself relish for a moment his shock. _I love surprising people_.

"She is here as the guest of two of her friends, who apparently work at Tokyo Beat," I shrugged nonchalantly before I pinned him with a bored look and said, "Now if you will excuse me. I am going to have a good time at this party for once." Thinking for a split second I quickly added, "And don't even think about making any wisecracks Inuyasha. I only wish to spend time with her at this party because she is the only person, out of this whole mass of people, who I know is worth speaking to. That is it. Nothing else."

I quickly pulled away from him then and tried to ignore the smirk that was so blatant on his face. But I really didn't care, she was here and I was going to enjoy her company for the evening and that was final.

I finally broke through the edge of the crowd and was only a few feet from her when she turned her head as if she was searching for something. Scanning the area her eyes quickly caught mine and to my surprise she actually winced.

If I was a man with a weaker disposition I would have been so confused and shocked by her pained expression that I would have quickly retreated, rather than stick around to uncover the reason behind such a face. I never did have much of a weak disposition in any area, however.

"And why are you twisting your face in such a manner Kagome," I asked coming to stand less than a foot and a half from her.

Frowning darkly she looked up at me and mumbled, "I inconvenienced you a lot tonight. I feel terrible."

_Ah, so that's why you ran off earlier._

"Inconvenienced," I laughed, "Did you not hear me earlier when I told you that I'm incredibly glad that you came _and_ that you've saved me from a night of boredom? You haven't _inconvenienced_ me in the slightest. Now quit making that ludicrous face," I chuckled and gently flicked her nose.

Her eyes widened slightly at the playful affront to her person and then with a brilliant grin, the one that never failed to made my head spin when I saw it, she shot her hand out toward my face and flicked my nose quite a bit harder. As soon she did, she backed away as fast as she could – in a tight-fitting, floor length dress, heels, while holding a nearly full cocktail – which was in other words, not very fast. I laughed and allowed her, her little game, following after her slowly until she came to a sudden stop, her back hitting the unyielding, solidness of the bar. Grinning wolfishly as I stopped less than a foot from her, causing her to reflectively bend back over the counter a little bit even though her eyes twinkled with amusement, I reached out and put my hand around her drink, our hands touching, causing a shiver to run up my spine unbidden.

"Payment," I said cockily, using every ounce of my will power to keep the uneasiness and uncertainty out of my voice. The effect she had on me when our skin touched, the effect that she had on period, was nothing short of disconcerting and I still wasn't sure how I felt about it. It certainly took all of my usual confidence, made me feel awkward, unsure, vulnerable, and out of my depth; something that I wasn't used to feeling – at all. _Why does this little women make me feel so callow, so adolescent, at times, _I mused before she interrupted my thoughts.

"Payment?" she asked.

_Oh right. You idiot. You were supposed to take her drink from her when you put your hand around her glass – not stand here holding the glass with her. You dolt._

Quickly, pretending like I hadn't just been holding the glass _with_ her for the past minute or so I pulled on the glass, taking it from her hand and forcing my lips into a smirk I said, "Yes, payment for attacking my nose so disrespectfully."

She snorted and crossed her arms over her chest, "Well you challenged me so that's your own fault, but if you'd like a taste, you could've just asked for it."

"Why should I have to ask?" I teased before I brought the cup up, preparing to take a drink. As I did I saw a faint lipstick mark and an outrageously absurd little voice in my head cried, _Indirect kissing!_ I quickly stomped the embarrassing idea with a very large mental boot.

"Because," she frowned, "Asking is the polite thing to do. I thought you were the type of man who knew his manners Sesshoumaru." She gave me mournful look and shaking her head added, "I can't lie... I'm terribly disappointed in you."

Ignoring her comment I asked after I had taken a long drag from the glass, "What is this thing anyway? It's like dessert."

"Hey now," she shook her finger at me while she snatched her drink back with her other hand. "You are the one that took it – _rudely_ I might add – so no dissing the drink, Mr. Tough Guy." She raised her eyebrows, and did her best to glower at me threateningly, but the effect was sadly lost due to the smile that was tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"I wasn't make fun of it," I smirked, "I was merely curious. I've never drunk anything like it before," I shrugged nonchalantly.

"It's a Casablanca if you must know," she sniffed, throwing her nose in the air. "It's a concoction of white rum, Malibu pineapple juice, and milk. I think it's delicious," she declared loudly as she brought it to her lips and took a large gulp. Seeing such a petite, innocent little women throw back a cocktail like a drinking veteran, I nearly laughed.

I was trying to come up with some brilliant remark when the noise of music starting suddenly blossomed over the loud chatter of the crowd. Her eyes widened in question while she took another long drink from her cocktail. Looking at my watch I realized that it was already 8:30.

"All right ladies and gentlemen," the loud blaring voice of Mr. Tochigi, the president of Sounaku & Co., announced from the front of the Hall where he stood on the raised platform behind a mike. "It's time for the annual dance so, find a partner, let loose, and keep enjoying the evening!"

This was always the part of the night that I hated the most. The _dance_. It was just an even better way for men to get closer to women, and in my case, vice versa. At these parties, before I was married and after I was divorced, I usually spent the rest of the night being chased and hunted by all sorts of females because I never had a partner with me. And if you didn't have a partner, you were fair game.

_Well,_ I thought happily, _this year id going to be different._

"There's a dance?" she asked, setting her drink down on the bar as she watched the masses shifting as they prepared and searched for potential partners. I had already seen several women giving me the eye. I had to move fast.

"Yes, every year," I chuckled, "It's usually my least favorite part of the evening."

"Oh," she wiggled her eyebrows teasingly, "Are you one of those men who are too _good_ to dance, Mr. Taisho?"

"I'm insulted," I sniffed. "I merely don't like being attacked on all sides by every type of predatory female imaginable."

"Oh dear, that does sound…awful," she laughed. "So do you usually run and hide in the restroom during this part of the evening."

"I don't have that option as the 'image and representation of the company'," I laughed. "So," I looked casually over my shoulder to find several women nearly ready to pounce, and quickly held out my hand, "would you do me the honor of dancing with me?"

"I would be more than happy to rescue you, Sesshoumaru," she placed her small hand in mine, and the room suddenly felt a little hot and cramped. Her eyes sparkled with mirth as she continued, "You rescued me tonight after all; from a watching, talking, slimy snake, no less. The least I can do is rescue you from a few vultures of the feminine persuasion."

Laughing at her appropriate nickname for Naraku I quickly led her out onto the floor, not failing, of course, to miss the angry, disappointed looks that crossed the _vultures'_ faces. _Sorry ladies, _I thought merrily as I pulled Kagome close, wrapping an arm around her back respectively, but not in a strictly "we're just friends" manner, _this is the only woman that I will be dancing with tonight. Rotten luck._ As I held her close I didn't miss the shiver that ran up her spine or the blush that stained her cheeks for a split second.

_Apparently I have some sort of an effect on you as well,_ I thought elatedly. _I'll have to keep that in mind for future reference._

"

"

"

"Well," Sango chirped happily as we finished our drinks, "That certainly went well." With a laugh she turned to me, her eyes alive with happiness, and I felt my heart rate speed up for a second, "I think our idea has gotten better results than we could have ever imagined. Our little Kagome is actually _dancing_ with him."

"Yes, she is," I smiled at the woman that had stolen my heart, "And I say that we take a page out of their book and follow suit. Sango, will you please honor me by dancing with me? Just a few times before we have to get down to business," I added quickly,

Her eyes widened and with a devastating feeling my heart fell with a crash into my gut as I expected her to refuse. "Dance?" she asked, still looking dumb-founded.

'Look," I said quietly, looking away to hide the emotions that I was sure were all too evident on my face, "If you don't want to, you can just say it."

"Huh?" she said slowly, and then gasping she grabbed my hand with hers, "No, no, that's not what I meant!" she cried. Then quietly she added, "I – I would love to dance with you, Miroku."

At her gentle voice I turned my head to look at her and was immediately caught in the gaze of those beautiful, warm, brown eyes that I loved so much. She was blushing slightly and I had to use every bit of my self-control to keep myself from placing a hand on her cheek.

"Well, then," I smiled cockily, trying to hide my raw emotions from her as I pulled her towards the floor, "Why didn't you say so sooner."

"

"

"

"Kanna," I hissed as I came to stand behind one of the two secretaries that I had brought to the party, "I want you to find out who that woman is."

"The one that you and Sesshoumaru were glaring at each other over?" she questioned, voice flat as usual.

"Yes," I growled, clenching my fist furiously at the memory of that infuriating dog demon and his disrespectful words. "The one that he hasn't left alone all evening," I glared across the room and caught sight of them as they stepped onto the dance floor, _again_. It was already 11:30 and the stupid dog hadn't left her alone even once since he had found her at the bar several hours earlier.

She followed my line of sight and found the pair immediately. "She seems to have caught his interest," she said slowly, watching them almost thoughtfully, "Are you sure you want to tangle with the Taishos, Naraku?" She turned her expressionless eyes on me, and if I had been anyone else I might have been unnerved.

"I'm hardly worried about Taisho or either of his disgusting offspring," I growled. "Just find out who she is, where she lives, what she does for work; _everything._ And what connection she has with Sesshoumaru."

"Fine," she shrugged, "That can be achieved easily enough. Just try to be more careful this time. You got sloppy last week… Or do you enjoy going to court?"

I shot out a hand, faster than she could blink, and held her fragile neck in my large hand, squeezing her windpipe as I glared down at her in warning. "Speak to me like that again and I'll make sure you never speak again," I growled, lip curling in rage.

She nodded, eyes wide, and I released her, watching as she leaned heavily against the wall, gasping for breath and coughing. "Just do it. And do it fast. I want it all on my desk by Monday."

I turned away from her, a clear dismissal, and boiling angrily stared at the woman that had caught my interest while I tried to ignore the man that was holding her in his arms. I let my eyes run up and down her delicious curves as she moved gracefully across the floor in that black dress, that sexy black dress that was just screaming to me, "Take me off." I smirked, as I thought about how I would love to run my hand up that long, slender leg exposed by the long slit, and then I thought about what I would do with that dress once it got in my way. _It wouldn't be much of a dress for very long,_ I thought chuckling, as I continued to stare at her hungrily.

" " " End Chapter " " "

Finally done! Sorry it took so long. Homework has been crazy this week – in fact I should have been doing it instead of finishing this but, oh well, that's why the weekend has two days, right?

m( '-' )m

Anyway, thanks again for all of the reviews – and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer**: They aren't mine. At all. ( '-' ) Too bad.

Notes: You probably all know this stuff but just in case I'm going to put it up here ( '-' )

**Manekineko**: Japanese lucky cat ( I can't resist buying them whenever I see them ha.)

**Okonomiyaki**: Japanese style 'pancake' also sometimes known in English as 'As you like it pancake'

**31**: Japanese sometime call Baskin Robbins 31 or 31 Ice cream

Now, to the chapter… Hope you enjoy! \( '-' )/

**Chapter Four: Bewitchment and Possession**

The next week was pure craziness – with a generous helping of torture on the side for added effect. At every opportunity Sango and/or Miroku would give me these irritating "knowing" looks or voice comments that should never have even been thought of in the first place. They seemed to have formed some coalition and were determined to find a way to get myself and Mr. Taisho _together_, as they seemed to think that there was _something_ between us. Both ideas, to put it in simple language, were just absurd. _Me_ with _the_ Sesshoumaru Taisho was just not something that would ever happen. I was a schoolteacher, he was a successful businessman. I was nothing special, and he was extraordinary. I was nothing to be sought after, while he was held high above the masses as Japan's most attractive bachelor. It was just that simple. _He_ would _never_ desire to have any other type of a relationship with me other than the one that we had now… Which, I had to admit, I really wasn't sure what our relationship was at the minute. I certainly didn't go to dinner or spend several hours dancing and chatting with any of the parents of my other students. _What exactly** is **our relationship_, I wondered, the next Friday as I sat down heavily in my desk chair after the bell signaling the beginning of lunch break rang and half the children had left their seats to get their lunch boxes to take to the cafeteria. _Maybe I'm just so odd that he finds me an amusing person to talk to… to kill time,_ I mused as I fiddled with my manekineko cell-phone ornament.

As if Sango and Miroku's teasing words and scheming ideas hadn't been bad enough, every time I closed my eyes, memories of that particular white-haired businessman would flash through my thoughts. Scenes from that Friday night had rose to the forefront of my mind so many times in the past week that I had quickly lost count. No matter how hard I tried to block the images and the thoughts that teased and tortured me I failed. My mind knew that he was so far out of my reach, that he was somewhere I could never go, but a traitorous part of me tried to stretch, to reach that place where the powerful man resided. And every time I had nearly quelled the silly thoughts, a particularly bright little 5 year old demon girl would come bouncing into the classroom, eyes bright and loving, and the idiotic thoughts would spring to life yet again.

"

"

"

"Inuyasha," I growled, snapping yet another pencil in half in my frustration.

"What," he snapped, turning to glare at me.

"Get me Ayame," I ordered.

"You leave her alone Sesshoumaru," my father's booming voice floated through the open doorway between our offices. "You've already terrified the poor girl enough as it is today. "

"I've done nothing of the sort," I scoffed, throwing the splintered pencil into the garbage next to my desk.

He strode through the door as Inuyasha gave me a look that said, "You are so clueless."

"You most certainly have," he grumbled.

I glared at him, struggling to come up with a biting remark even though I knew what he said was right. However, before I could speak, he frowned and muttered, "It's unusual for you get this… this temperamental." He crossed his arms over his chest. "What in the world has gotten you all tied up in knots? I know the deal with Kiruka Corp. went south but that's hardly a problem. And besides, I've never know you to be bothered this much by a deal going bad."

I resisted the urge to growl in frustration, clenching and unclenching my fist as I leaned back in my chair, trying to get my tense muscles to _relax_. _'What's gotten me all tied up in knots' you ask. I'll tell you what! A blue-eyed devil woman who refuses to leave my thoughts, that's what. An angel that seems to be trying to completely possess me and is doing a damned good job of it._

"I'm fine," I growled. "Just feeling a bit distracted," I continued through clenched teeth. I heard Ayame squeak from her desk outside the door; no doubt she'd felt the angry currents of energy that were rolling off me in waves.

"Also very unlike you," he muttered completely unfazed by the dark aura that was swirling around me. He gave me a calculating look and continued, "Look, go home. Your brother and I can handle these files. Go pick up your daughter, relax, and have fun. Get whatever is wrong with you worked out of your system over the weekend and we'll see you back on Monday."

"Father-," I started.

"No 'but's', son. Go home," he shook his head, eyes stern.

I knew it was pure foolishness to try to butt heads with him; something I had learned after several particularly painful disagreements in my younger years. However, knowing that didn't keep from wanting to argue with him. I was feeling reckless today and a good row sounded kind of nice. Eyebrow rising I opened my mouth to refuse.

"Sesshoumaru," he growled, "Don't make me throw you through that wall. I'd rather not have to bring in another carpenter crew. It's expensive as well as an unnecessarily annoying racket."

_Oh hell,_ I thought dryly.

"Fine," I growled, and reached to bring my briefcase up off the floor and on to my desk. "Then I'm turning my phone off for the weekend so you two are completely on your own."

He snorted, rolling his eyes. "I'm quite sure we'll be just fine Sesshoumaru, now get going," he laughed, turning on his heel and disappearing into his cavernous office.

"

"

After Sesshoumaru left the office taking his boiling cloud of darkness with him Father popped his head through the door cautiously before strolling casually into the room and sitting on Sesshoumaru's desk, a thoughtful look on his face. I quirked an eyebrow in question and he finally spoke.

"What do you suppose is up with our walking, talking cloud of doom?"

"Oh," I mumbled. "Beats me."

"It can't be the business deal," he muttered, staring at the ceiling as he concentrated.

"No, that's a no-brainer," I snorted.

"Besides, he's been irritable off and on all week," he sighed, tapping his fingers on the polished surface of the desk.

"Nothing new with his ex either," I shrugged, "I can't think of anything unusual."

"When _exactly_ did he start getting so cranky?"

"Saturday," I answered promptly, "He was distracted and in a bad mood by lunch time."

"Hmm," he said thoughtfully. "I know he dislike that business party, but he actually seemed to be enjoying himself this year… Very odd."

"Right," I nodded, "He spent the whole evening with that gorgeous hottie – he'd be even weirder than I thought if he didn't enjoy himself."

"You mean the teacher?" he asked.

"Yeah, he said she was just someone to talk to but they sure seemed to be dancing an awful lot. I got the feeling he was just bluffing to himself and to me," I shrugged.

He started laughing suddenly, quietly at first but it quickly grew loud and boisterous. "Of course," he finally wheezed. "The teacher," he threw his head back and laughed loudly one more time before he managed to get a hold of himself. "He's always seen being with a woman as a weakness and after he finally came down out of the clouds and joined the rest of us _normal_ people, who see it as a good thing, he got his heart stomped on. Thoroughly. So, not surprisingly, since then he's been even more adamant in his belief that woman aren't worth the time of day. And now, in comes Rin's teacher who I speculate is playing with his thoughts." He chuckled, "Sesshoumaru hates not being in control. No wonder he's losing it."

I burst out laughing so hard I thought I would bust a gut.

"Oh how the mighty have fallen," he smirked.

"

"

"

I pulled into the school parking lot, tires screeching as I came to a stop and parked, striding into the building about 5 minutes before the dismissal bell was going to ring. Coming to stand next to Rin's classroom I heard a familiar voice, like the sweetest music, "Alright guys, time to start cleaning up. We need to talk about next week's volunteer project." At the sound of her voice I felt myself relax noticeably and I couldn't help but frown. _This woman is going to drive me insane,_ I decided, sighing, and running a hand through my hair, _this is just getting to be preposterous._

The Friday we had spent so many hours together, she had not kept me reasonably entertained as I had hoped for. No, instead she had been immensely entertaining, charming, beautiful, sexy; to sum it up into a word, she had been the most _bewitching_ creature that I had ever laid eyes on. Her heady scent, those sparkling indigo orbs, her mischievous smiles, the way she was so smart yet so innocent, the way she saw the world, the way her perfect body felt dancing close to mine – the more time I spent with her the more I found myself drawn to her. For the past week she had rarely left my thoughts and the few times that she had she hadn't gone far for she was back, skipping through the corridors of my mind, all too soon. I'd grown even more worried about my outlandish fascination with this little teacher, but despite all my trepidations I couldn't pull myself away from thoughts of her.

My frown having grown dark I shook myself out of my broodings as the bell rang and the noise from the classrooms exploded. The door to her room flew open, slamming again the wall with a loud, reverberating "wham!" and the children began to flood out into the hall joining the collective mass that had already reached the hall.

As I waited for Rin to exit the room, trying to figure out if I wanted to see Kagome or not – to be more accurate I was trying to decided whether or not it was **wise** as there was no question whether I wanted to _see_ her or not – I heard her ask quietly, "Rin, are you ok hun?"

"

"

"

"I'm fine," she said with a small smile while her eyes remained confused. She turned suddenly to look at the door, the weak smile wilting into a puzzled frown and I followed her line of sight to find the man who had been haunting me all week. My heart skipped a beat, _My gosh, does he have to be **so** quiet; I didn't here a blinkin' **sound**_!_ Give me a flippin' heart attack, _I grumbled.

"Mr. Taisho," I squeaked, heart firmly logged in my throat.

"Dad, what are you doing here so early?" Rin asked, voice low and suspicious and I turned to glance at her. Face twisted in her confusion she added, "You said you'd be at work today until at least 7."

I turned back to look at Sesshoumaru who attempted to smile as he said, "I have the rest of the day off as well as the weekend so I've come to pick you up."

A startled look crossed Rin's face and she said accusatorily, "Dad, were you hassling Ayame again?"

"Why does everyone keep telling me that I'm hassling the woman?" he grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest, eyes indignant.

"Because you do," she replied quickly, "I didn't just hear about it from Grandpa either."

"I'm sure," he rolled his eyes. "I think we both know who has the biggest mouth in the family."

Rin giggled then and stood up from her desk, grabbing her pack and slinging it over her shoulder. "Dad," she said sweetly as she came to the front of the classroom.

"Yes, Rin," he said, eyes growing suspicious.

"Why _were_ you hassling Ayame?" she asked, pinning him with a curious look. I nearly laughed out loud as Rin placed her hands on her hips.

"Ms. Higurashi," a torturously attractive male voice spoke quickly and my mental sniggering was brought to a skidding halt.

Swinging my head to look at him, eyes wide – _I must look like a raccoon in front of an approaching car on the highway_ – I finally managed to squeak, "Uh?"

"Do you like Studio Ghibli?" he asked, eyes like the sun catching mine, holding them captive and I felt my lungs struggling to draw air. I had a vivid flashback to last Friday when he had first pulled me close, placing his hand on my back as we prepared to dance. _I'm going to faint_…

"Uh," I breathed slightly, "Why do you ask?" I finally managed to ask smartly. _Smooth – way to go Kagome,_ I thought doing a little mental victory dance. _Answering random questions with a question of your own, often an excellent plan of action, ha-ha,_ I rambled, a bit loopy, undoubtedly from the lack of oxygen reaching my flustered brain.

"Rin's been wanting to go see the newest one that's in theaters, but we haven't had a chance yet," he stepped further into the room, taking long strides until he stood directly in front of us and my stomach flip-flopped. "Since I'm off early today I was thinking that it would be the perfect opportunity and I was wondering if you would like to come with us," he finished, golden eyes warm as they continued to imprison mine.

Rin squealed in excitement before I could even open my mouth, "Really Dad?!" She began jumping up and down excitedly and then grabbed my hand turning large puppy dog eyes on me, "Please Higurashi-sensei, please! It'll be so much fun! I know you'll love it!"

My brain had been, albeit slowly and clumsily, preparing words of refusal, as it was completely inappropriate for me, as her teacher, to go with them. However, I am terribly susceptible to big puppy dog eyes and another pair of beautiful eyes was simultaneously pushing me to accept. Not surprisingly I found myself nearly caves as I said, "I would love to but," I paused, struggling to fight against the part of me that wanted to accept, "As your teacher I don't think it would be acceptable for me to say 'yes'. I'm sorry," I smiled apologetically at Rin as her jumping slowed to a stop and she frowned.

_Good grief! Puppy dog eyes, crushed smiles, and cursed gold eyes! Why me? _I moaned, resisting the urge to throw my hands up in the air and growl in frustration.

"Tripe," Sesshoumaru said smoothly. "You've tried to use that excuse before Kagome. Need I remind you how well it worked for you last time?" He smirked and I felt torn, half of me wanting to slap him and the other half wanting to find a more pleasant way to get the aggravating expression off of his face.

_Oh go- Don't even go there, Kagome!_

"Please, Higurashi-sensei," Rin begged, squeezing my hand. "We won't tell anyone."

_That's not what I'm worried about, _I grumbled and with a sigh broke. Surrendering I said, "Alright, as long as you're sure it's no trouble."

"Of course not," Rin cried happily grabbing her father's hand, her other hand firmly wrapped around mine. Sesshoumaru didn't miss her actions; looking down at her little hands connecting us I saw a heartbroken look flood his eyes for a fleeting moment before it was violently extinguished. He looked up then, our eyes meeting, and I knew he knew I had seen it but tried to pretend otherwise. It hurt, seeing such a kind man in a moment of heartbroken weakness. _Let him pretend,_ _I just wish there was something I could do… It's awful to see that look in anyone's eyes._

"We can go to dinner afterwards, too, if you don't have any other plans" he added, holding my eyes as Rin strode forward, excitedly pulling us toward the door, obviously forgetting that I hadn't grabbed my briefcase.

"Hold up hun, I have to get my stuff," I laughed, retrieving my hand and turning back to my desk, gathering up my things.

"

"

"Dad," Rin whispered quietly as Kagome messily shuffled papers on her desk, noisily sweeping and stuffing them into her briefcase. "I'll let you explain later."

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said even more quietly.

"Uh-huh," she said, obviously not believing me for a split second. "Later," she said in a voice that gave no room for argument, something she had no doubt learned from me.

_She's too smart for her own good,_ I thought grumpily as Kagome began walking back to us, a small smile on her full lips.

"

"

"

I looked at the folder for the umpteenth time since Kanna had placed it on my desk Monday morning. _Kagome Higurashi's file…_

5'6"

Blue Eyes

Black hair

21 years old, born 1985, October 31

Originally from Nagoya, her family, which consists of a grandfather, mother, and younger brother named Souta, still live there on an old shrine's grounds. Father died when she was 10 years old from cancer.

Graduate of Chiba University's Education department.

Currently works at Nakagawa Private School for Elementary Children.

She and Sesshoumaru Taisho met because his daughter is in her 3rd grade class; not much more than that concerning their relationship is known as of yet.

Best friends are Miroku Tadokoro and Sango Takahashi, both of who are reporters, entertainment and business respectively, at Tokyo Beat Magazine. They are the ones who invited and brought her to the party last Friday.

Habits: volunteers every weekend nearly without fail – often works at a soup kitchen near downtown and an animal shelter close to the school where she works. She also often goes to dance clubs and Izakaya restaurants with her friends. Their favorite dance club appears to be Club Atom in Shibuya as they are most often seen there, although they haven't been there for a while.

Lives in: A small apartment 15 minutes by train from the school.

I stopped reading, feeling no need to read the address that had already been burned into my mind. Slapping it down on the desk as I leaned back in my leather chair, a growl rippling up through my chest I closed my eyes and called to mind the image of the sexy temptress from Friday night. As frustrating as it was I was going to watch for now; waiting for the perfect opportunity. Sesshoumaru seemed to have taken an interest in her and he was no fool as he obviously didn't trust my motives for a second. He would be on the alert for a while and while I wasn't afraid of the man, he was powerful and I would have to approach the entire situation with cunning and patience if I didn't want to get burned. _For now I'll watch from the shadows, study her, and when the time is right I'll be ready to take her._ _For the time being I'll just have to keep myself appeased by spending my time planning and thinking about all the things I'll get to enjoy doing with my newest interest once I have her in my hands_. I smirked as I put my hands behind my head and stretched my long length as I stood up from behind my desk, muscles rippling in anticipation.

"

"

"

"Hey Miroku," I called, as I crossed the room heading towards him, "When are you getting off tonight?"

He straightened stiffly from the table that he was bent over, hands on his hips, and threw over his shoulder, "About 6," he grunted. "Why?"

Coming to a stop beside him I looked down at the project he and a fellow worker, Yokomizu-san, were working on. Photos of colorfully dressed people who were dancing, drinking, and having a wild time were scattered all over the table along with pamphlets and random papers that held very little meaning for me. "Is that the after party of that fashion show you covered two days ago?"

"Yup," he smiled at me briefly before turning back to glare at the mess on the table. "We're trying to decide what pictures will be best. We want to make sure that the energy of the party is really felt when reading the article and seeing the pictures. You know," he shrugged, "We want to make the readers feel like they'd actually been there themselves."

I snorted, "They all look like they would work."

"That my dear," he gave me a pitying look, "Is because you cover _business_ which makes just about anything look like a wild party."

"Are you saying I don't know how to have fun? Because if you are I-"

His eyes sparkled with a look of pure tomfoolery. "And what if I was?"

"I would say that you are just saying that to get me riled up enough to do something completely wild and crazy _just_ to prove that I know how to have a good time. That's what I would say, you pervert," I growled, crossing my arms over my chest, sending him my best glare.

Unfortunately my glares and growls failed, as usual, to intimidate him enough to

get him to capitulate. _I must be getting too soft,_ I thought mournfully as he opened that attractive mouth of his. _Oh my go- I did **not** just **think** that! Ugh…_

"I'm hurt that you think of me that way," he teased, lips forming an exaggerated pout as he shot me puppy dog eyes. _Gah! I wish he wouldn't do that…_ my growl quickly fading into a pained, _Oh go- I should just take that ridiculous, protruding lip and- Shite, shite, shite. Bad Sango, bad. This is Miroku. Your friend. Just your friend,_ I scolded myself, desperately trying to pry my eyes away from his tempting mouth and focus on what he was currently saying in that attractive voice of his. _Shite._

"But why did you want to know when I get off work tonight?"

"Believe it or not," I grumped, tapping a foot on the floor extremely aggravated and out of joint, "I was **going** to suggest that we call up Kagome and go down to Atom for a good night out on the town. It's Friday night and it's been a while since we went to there."

"Hmm," he said, giving me a dubious look, "Were you _really_ thinking about that, or did my comment trigger this brilliant idea." I opened my mouth to retort when he quickly added, reaching out to place a hand on my arm, "I'm joking, I'm joking! It's a great idea so why don't you call Kagome and let me know what the concrete plan is, alright?"

"Ok," I mumbled, trying very hard to focus on something, _anything_, other than the hand that rested on my arm. Eyes searching for a distraction I made the mistake of looking up at _his_ eyes and felt myself fall into them. With every ounce of will that was in my body I broke away from him, walking back to my desk to get out my cell. _Shite, everyday it's becoming harder and harder to work with him without letting him know what I really think… I don't know how much longer I can do this…How much longer I can hide it…_ _Why does he have to be so cursed attractive? And funny? And charming? And infuriating? Ugh. Whoever is up there must be finding this whole situation terribly amusing,_ I groaned, flipping my phone open and hitting Kagome's button in a fluid, practiced motion.

It rang twice before my friend's cheerful laughter bubbled over the speaker and she gasped, "Kagome speaking, may I help you?"

"Kagome, you should really try to check the caller ID sometime before you pick up," I muttered, still perturbed by my lack of control and the cruelty of the universe.

"Oh! Hey Sango," she chirped happily. _Boy she's certainly in a good mood,_ I laughed. "What's up?"

"Miroku and I were thinking of going to Atom tonight. We haven't gone out for a long time so we wondering if tonight worked for you, or not?" I asked, leaning against my desk.

"'Bout what time," she asked, interest lacing her tone.

"Well, what time is good? Nine, ten?"

"Hmm," she murmured thoughtfully, "How about 10? That should give me enough time to get ready. Is Miroku going to pick us up?"

"Yeah, like usual," I muttered, distracted by the noises that I heard coming from the background. "Uh, Kags, what're you doing now?"

"Oh, um, I just went to a movie with Rin," she replied innocently. _Too innocently_.

"With Rin? What in the world are doing going to a movie with Rin? Is her father there with you as well," I questioned rapidly, ears straining to better hear the voices surrounding her.

"Why?" she asked and then I caught it, a smooth, unmistakable male voice saying, "Rin, where should we go eat?"

"Never mind," I said, storing away this new information for later use. _Oh tonight it going to be rich,_ I thought mischievously. "We'll see you at 10 at your place, don't be late," I said cheerfully as I picked up my purse and pushed away from the desk.

"Alright, thanks hun," she replied cheerfully, "See you later!"

"Un, bye-bye," I smiled then closed the phone with a snap, sliding it into the cell compartment in my purse. "Miroku, 10 O'clock, Kagome's place."

"So pick you up at 9:30 then," he replied, turning his back to the table once again to face me.

"Yes sir, if you would be so kind," I laughed. "Until then," I waved, sweeping out the door, already trying to figure out what I should wear. _Decisions, decisions…_

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"

"Sorry," she smiled, hanging up the phone with a loud snap. "That was my friend Sango, you remember, you met her on Friday."

"Oh, yes," I nodded. "And her _friend_ Miroku," I added with a snicker resulting in a sharp glance from her, amusement dancing in her eyes.

She burst into loud, boisterous laughter, holding her sides as her whole body shook from the force of her mirth. "Oh come on," I chuckled, "You _know_ you were thinking it."

"Are you kidding me?!" she wheezed, looking up at me with wide blue eyes, "I've been thinking it for years. I think _they_ are the only ones to **dense** to notice it! But I have to admit, I never would have thought _you_ were the type of person who would care to notice."

I sniffed, pretending to be offended, "I can't help if my nose forces me to notice things that are none of my business." Dropping the act I continued, "Have you ever tried to give them, you know, a little helpful hand, a gentle shove or anything like that?" I asked, eyebrow raised.

Both of hers rose to match as she asked, disbelief lacing her voice, "Once again, are you kidding me," she squeaked. "I have tried _so_ many times, everything short of being blunt, but they're just to dull-witted when it comes to each other that they don't get any of the subtle hints. I'm about ready to lose patience with them though and am sorely tempted to be _painfully_ blunt," she grumbled, shaking her head, obviously remembering a failed subtle attempt. "I was impressed that they actually danced together a few times last Friday though," she chuckled.

"It couldn't hurt, surely," I said thoughtfully, "They obviously both like each other so once it's out in the open they'd probably be too busy being happy to worry about being embarrassed."

"Oh, I've thought about that though," she frowned shaking her head, "but it wouldn't work. If I did it in front of both of them then they'd both be falling over themselves trying to deny that they liked the other one – for fear that the other didn't feel the same way."

I thought about it for a second before saying, "Well then why don't you just pull one of them aside, the most confident one, and tell them?"

She stopped walking suddenly, a look of painful concentration on her face. _What I wouldn't give to see inside that mind of yours,_ I thought as she suddenly grimaced. "I don't know… I guess I could see tonight though," she shrugged. "We're going to Club Atom together at 10."

"Club Atom?" I asked, an eyebrow rising incredulously before I could stop it. "You? Club Atom?"

Puzzled, she looked up me, but just as she opened her mouth to speak Rin piped up, "Dad, what's Club Atom?"

I winced and glanced down at my daughter while Kagome just laughed. "Sesshoumaru, it's just a dance club. It's not like it's something dirty," she giggled.

"Yes, but," I stuttered, trying to physically start the spins and gears in my brain. I couldn't seem to get rid of the image of a very scantily dressed Kagome on the dance floor surrounded by hungry, predatory men who would take advantage of her in a heartbeat. On one hand it made my heart skip a beat, seeing an image of her dressed like that. Then, on the other hand it made my blood race and the more animalistic part of me go on high alert. Forcing both parts of me - the drooling quarter and the growling quarter - down with a forceful mental smashing I tried to focus on forming words and actually getting them out coherently. _Something seems to be wrong with my mouth, _I grumbled as I fought with the malfunctioning body part, _Piece of shite_, I growled, extremely miffed.

"No 'but's'," she laughed, taking her small hand and playfully pushing my chest.

_She's as weak as a **child**,_ I thought horrified. _She should **not** be at a place where so many men would love any opportunity to play with her. My go-,_ I shook myself as I started to get worked up again. _She's a **grown** woman. It's her choice, not yours you adolescent worrywart!_ I snapped.

"We go there all the time, but it's actually been a while so they thought we should go tonight," she smiled, shrugging nonchalantly. _Of course you can be nonchalant about it,_ I whined, _you're so innocent and sweet I think you'd try to help an injured viper._

"Do you like to dance Higurashi-sensei?" Rin asked, eyes wide.

"Yes, I do," she smiled at Rin like the angel that she was. _Angel? Oh my go- What_

_in the Seven Hells is wrong with me? I'm going mad…_

"I have to admit, I never would have guessed that you were the type that enjoyed going to places like Club Atom," I blurted out stupidly before I could stop myself. I barely resisted the groan that tried to escape my lips. _Idiot. Insult here some more why don't you, you ass._

Her eyebrow twitched spastically before she settled on giving me a dull look that said, "Oh, you too, huh? Why am I not surprised?"

"So are you one of those people that expects teachers to not know how to go out and have a little fun, huh?"

"No, it's just," I stuttered.

"You have something against dancing Sesshoumaru?" she asked, eyebrow cocked as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Because I seem to distinctly remember that **you** were the one who asked **me** to dance on Friday night," her eyes gloated, victory dancing in their blue depths. She had me and she _knew_ it. _Damn._

"I have nothing against dancing," I grumbled, crossing my arms over my chest defensively. "It's just that I didn't realize you enjoyed going to a place where men would be crawling all over you and use dancing as an excuse to try to something inappropriate." _Oh God, I'm dead. _

_Why me?_

Her eyes narrowed dangerously, and for the first time since I had met her I saw a side of Kagome that was not all smiles, sweetness, or wide-eyed shock. I saw first-hand why there had been no repeat teasing of Rin – Kagome Higurashi was downright terrifying when she chose to be. '_Sesshoumaru Taisho,'_ I thought, '_human age 26, Vice president of Taisho & Sons, died early on June 15th when he was justifiably murdered by his daughter's human 3rd grade teacher after insulting her unforgivably.' That is what my obituary will read. 'Murdered by an angry blue-eyed angel.'_

"Just because I enjoy going dancing does not by _any_ means automatically translate into me enjoying men 'crawling all over me' as you so _delicately_ put it," she glowered, eyes fiery, and the man who was never afraid or intimidated nearly quaked. _Sesshoumaru, get a hold of yourself!_ I chastised, trying to stand firm against the onslaught of blue flames.

"Nor does it mean that I _let_ any men _crawl_ all over me," she growled, hands fisted and on her hips, holding her aggressive pose. I opened my mouth in an attempt to masterfully, or not so masterfully, back pedal as fast as I could. Rin got words out of her mouth first though.

"Dad, what were you doing dancing with sensei last Friday? I thought you had to go to the business party?" she chirped, looking up at both of us completely perplexed.

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"

"

"Nor does it mean that I _let_ any men _crawl_ all over me."

Higurashi-sensei looked mad enough to take my Dad's head off, although I was at a loss as to why. Obviously they knew something about these dance clubs that I didn't know. _No big surprise there since I've never been to one, _I thought with a mental shrug. I didn't care about their little verbal _tussle_ – if you could even _call_ it that. I was the most concerned about when sensei had said in a challenging tone, "You have something against dancing Sesshoumaru? Because I seem to distinctly remember that **you** were the one who asked **me** to dance on Friday night."

_Dad and Teacher **dancing** last week? _Now that just didn't make any _sense_. Dad was supposedly at the hated business party – not out dancing with Teacher_. If he was dancing with her does that mean he skipped the party and ran into her at one of these dance clubs? But if he was at one of the dance clubs when he asked her to dance, then he shouldn't have such a problem with her going to one. I am **so** lost,_ I sighed, flustered then looked up at my Dad.

He looked like he was trying to come up with something smart to say, but the fierce look Teacher was giving him was obviously getting in the way of his brain's processes. I decided to take advantage of the tense silence and ask the question that was dancing on my tongue, "Dad, what were you doing dancing with sensei last Friday? I thought you had to go to the business party?"

He blinked, tearing his eyes away from her face and looked down at my eyes, lost for a minute before he caught up with my question. "What?"_ Okay so maybe he hasn't caught up with me yet, _I sighed.

"Higurashi-sensei said that you two danced on Friday evening? How can that be if you were at the business party?" I reiterated. Teacher flinched then, the fire in her eyes slowly cooling before she too, looked down at me.

"Huh?" she mumbled smartly. _Boy, they aren't normally **this** good at talking,_ I smirked sarcastically.

Dad shook his head and said in a flat voice, eyebrow quirked, "Ms. Higurashi was invited by her two friends to the party – that's why we were dancing."

_Actually,_ I thought, _that's **how** you were dancing, not **why**, but I guess I'll let you get away with that comment for now Dad._ I barely resisted the urge to tease him in front of her though, _It would just be so priceless._

Suddenly Dad spoke again, looking at Teacher, eyes apologetic, "I'm sorry Kagome, I didn't mean for my comment to sound like that. And you're right; I shouldn't make sweeping statements like that. I'm afraid today I'm just a little on edge. Please accept my apology." He bowed slightly and I felt my jaw drop. _Now that's not something you normally see from him,_ I thought, slightly dumbstruck.

It seemed to work quite well though because the fire that had started to grow in her eyes again – she didn't let things go easily, something I had learned about her while having her as my teacher – was snuffed out in an instant. It was then rapidly replaced with concern. "That's fine," she smiled, "Did something happen at work today?"

"You could say that, yes," he frowned slightly, "I really am very sorry."

"No problem, I'm sorry too," she laughed suddenly, "Sometimes I let my temper get the best of me. But really, you have no idea how many people try to tell me that as a teacher I shouldn't be out dancing. It's like people think that if you're a teacher then you can't have any fun – which is just _absurd_. We need to let loose just as much as anybody else."

"Completely understandable," he smiled, reaching down and taking my hand in his. "Now let's go to that okonomiyaki place you like, Rin. And after that we'll head to the nearest 31 Ice Cream shop. Are you still up for dinner Kagome?"

"I'm always up for okonomiyaki," she laughed and he began to move forward careful not to move to fast for us. I couldn't help myself then, there was just something about walking with the two of them – it felt so right. Unable to resist, I reached out and grabbed Higurashi-sensei's hand, and for the second time that afternoon linked my father and my teacher together with my own hands.

"

"

"

I knocked on her door, trying to calm myself. _No kissing, no touching, no professing your true feelings – damned this is so unfair._

"Coming," she called from inside her apartment, voice like bird song.

"Alright," I called back, stuffing my hands into my pockets nervously. _I hope I look all right,_ I thought, flustered as always when I was waiting for her. I was always fashionable – it came with the territory of being the Entertainment reporter. I also never worried about how I looked, except when Sango was going to be coming around. Then it was impossible for me not to worry. _I swear she sucks up all of my normal confidence more than any other person I know. The only other person who could make me lose my confidence or be nervous like she can was Kagome when we were in college and I touched her butt. That was of course more of a terrified, 'I'm going to die' loss of confidence, not a 'Do I look like a total loser, dork in this outfit,' loss of guts._

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"

I jumped when the knock sounded on the door and quickly tried to calm myself, "Coming," I shouted, grabbing my purse and keys before looking at myself in the mirror one last time. "Good as it's going to get," I grumbled, tugging on a corner of my shirt nervously, then strode out of my bedroom.

Sliding into my black stiletto heels I opened the door to find Miroku standing there, hands in his pockets with an odd look on his face. "Hey," I greeted casually, hiding my anxiety.

"Hey," he smiled, "You look nice," he added, trying to stare discreetly.

I felt my cheeks growing warm and quickly barked, "What, you act like you've never seen me in a halter top before," and I could've sworn that for an instant his cheeks were stained red.

"I have of course," he laughed, "but you still look very nice." He paused to give me another quick look over, "It's a new one isn't? The color and cut suits you," he finished with a cocky smile. _I'm going to lose it,_ I thought panicking. _I can't let him know how much I love it when he looks at me like that… Or says things like that.. Oh go-_

"Thanks," I mumbled, "You don't look so bad yourself," I finished, looking him over quickly. _Understatement of the century,_ I thought glumly, _He looks gorgeous. Damn him for being so extraordinarily gorgeous._ While most men looked hot in a dress shirt like he was wearing, he looked, well as corny as it sounds it's the only word that fits: _ravishing_. On top of that he had to be extra cruel and have the first couple buttons undone, exposing some of his nicely shaped chest. _He should unbutton a couple more,_ I thought giddily, _my shirt is showing a fair amount as it is; it's only fair, right?_

"Thanks," he chuckled and I felt butterflies flutter in my gut. "Alright, let's get going babe."

"Who are you calling 'babe', you perv," I growled to hide my embarrassment as he turned to walk down the steps. Despite myself I couldn't help but watch his ass in his jeans as I followed behind. _I am the ultimate hypocrite_, I thought miserably.

_But such a fine ass…_

"

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"

I opened the front door and Rin burst through happily, kicking off her shoes before she began twirling in circles. "Today was so much fun, Dad," she crowed. "The movie was amazing!"

"It was really good wasn't," I laughed, setting my briefcase down on the dining room table.

"You never told me about dancing with her last week," she smirked, her spinning come to a drunken stop. "Have you two done anything else together," she asked, a suspicious glint in her lively eyes.

My brain stuttered to a stop at the sudden change of subject. "What are you talking about Rin?" I grumbled.

"You and Teacher. Dancing on Friday," she repeated patiently. "And if there was anything else you _forgot_ to mention?"

I opened my mouth to tell her that it wasn't my duty to tell her everything that I did, but she knew me to well and quickly added, "And don't even try to use the 'not my job to tell you everything I do' excuse."

I rolled my eyes as I walked past her, around the end of the couch, and then fell back onto it, letting my head hit the pillows the moment I was down. She clambered over the back of it and crawled into my lap, snuggling into my chest. Wrapping my arms around her I finally answered, "We had dinner the night of parent/teacher's conferences. She was exhausted and hungry so I asked to take her to dinner."

"Do you like her," she asked, playing with a piece of my white hair.

"Just as a friend," I said more confidently than I felt. "She's a very bright, kind woman and I find her interesting company."

"Oh," she said disbelieving, "Is that all?"

I laughed, "Yes. That _is_ all. Now enough on this subject."

"_I_ think she's the reason you've been so distracted this week," she said, giving me a knowing look. "I saw how you looked at her sometimes this afternoon when you thought no one was looking."

"Well my clever daughter," I grumbled, "Your overly active brain is obviously making something out of nothing. She's your teacher – and even if that wasn't an issue we are _just_ friends," I said, and suddenly in my mind's eye I saw her angelic face redden slightly, a shiver running down her petit back as I pulled her close the first time last Friday. _Sure, just friends. Because I flirt with my friends on a regular basis. And sometimes to mix things up a bit, I dance with them for long periods of time. **Riiight.**_

"I smelled your scent change when you two were talking about her going to the dance club," she looked at me dully, knowing that she'd caught me. "You were-"

"Alright Rin," I interrupted quickly, voice growing loud as I stood up with her cradled in my arms, "It's late. Time for bed."

"No it's not," she grumbled, "You just don't want to admit that I'm right."

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said, nose in the air as I took quick steps down the hall to her bedroom.

"This isn't over," she growled.

"

"

"

I stood outside my door in my 'night on the town' clothes while I watched Miroku and Sango pull into the parking lot. Turning to lock my door before running door the stairs I giggled in excitement. _It's been a while since we've gone out. It's nice finally getting to wear this shirt I bought two weeks ago too._

The shirt in question was a black halter top made of draping, silky material that was actually more like a corset top due to the way it was split all the way down the middle of the front, connected just under my breasts by a black, metal loop. It was risqué, I knew it, but I hadn't been able to resist it when I saw it on the manikin in the store. It'd been on sale too and that was the deciding factor in the end – the last straw. It was in my hands before I knew it and I quickly found myself at the register. Plus, although it was a bit risqué, it didn't really show _too_ much, mostly just my stomach and a little bit around my breasts. More than I normally showed, but it was a shirt for rare occasions so I figured it wouldn't kill me. Furthermore, it wasn't like I was going to be around any children in the shirt – obviously. Besides, I sometimes felt the undeniable urge to rebel against the stereotype of the typical 'elementary teacher' and wear something extra fun and sexy.

Weird, I know.

"Hey guys," I chirped as I climbed into the backseat.

"Heya," Sango grinned, "Nice shirt, when did you get that?"

"Last week; thought I'd wear it tonight," I chuckled. "Alright Miroku, put her in 'D'! I can't wait to get there!"

"Yes ma'am. I'd hate to keep you girls waiting," he laughed good-naturedly.

"Soo," Sango drawled, eyes sparkling, "You went to a movie with Rin and Sesshoumaru huh? Tell me Kagome, is it typical teacher protocol to go to movies with your pupil and their parent?"

"Not one more word, Sango," I growled, attempting to burn a hole in her forehead with my glare. "**Not a word**."

"

"

"

"

I sat on the couch after Rin had finally fallen asleep. I was sitting there contemplating exactly what my deal _was_ with Rin's teacher. I hadn't figured it out yet.

She fascinated me. She made me lose composure more skillfully than the most intimidating businessmen could even attempt to do. That was the thing, where they failed at attempting to make me lose my head she usually succeeded. On the other hand I seemed to be able return the favor and knock her off-balance just as easily. The number of times I had managed to make her cheeks turn the color of a ripe strawberry testified to that. Then there was my disturbing desire to flirt with her and tease her whenever I saw her. There was also my disconcerting attraction to her. And on top of these unsettling things there was also my mortifying behavior earlier in the afternoon when I thought of her being accosted by men at the club.

_She's just so sweet and innocent that it inspires the desire to protect her,_ I sighed. _And there's no doubt that I would be most upset if anything happened to her._ _Whatever our relationship is at this time, she's important to Rin and in turn is important to me. Besides, I enjoy speaking with her whenever we're together, and as much as I am loathe admitting it, I would miss our talks… Although after this afternoon she probably won't miss talking to me, _I winced at the memory. _Ass._

Thinking about our conversation though I immediately felt my previous worry rising to the surface. "Oh this is ridiculous," I growled, running a hand over my face. "Shite, but she must think me a prude," I laughed suddenly. "And why wouldn't she after my stunning verbal blunder. Ugh."

_I'm talking out loud to myself, **great**. Good grief, _I sighed a sigh of long suffering. _I'm most certainly **not** a prude though… I would love it if she wore clothes like that black dress everyday. _I winced as _that_ thought brought up several tantalizing mental images in the span of a few seconds. _I curse the day I met that woman,_ I scowled furiously at the black T.V. screen in front of me.

I sat there for a moment longer, trying to clear my thoughts – completely – of the little black-haired, blue-eyed devil that danced through my mind. It looked for a split second like I was going to succeed and then an image of her at the club being approached by a shady man caused me to frown, lip curled up in displeasure. The unpleasant feeling in my gut increased greatly when the man's face changed into Naraku's disgusting face. The memories of last Friday flooded my thoughts and I felt a growl bubble up in my chest.

_Oh for heaven's sake,_ I thought furiously, _if you're so damned worried about her being an innocent idiot – which you shouldn't be because she's obviously done this a lot and the chances of him being there at the same time are probably very small – then get off of the couch and go to the stupid club. You know where she is so just go!_

I hesitated for all of a fifth of a second before I was off the couch and striding into my room in search of something to wear. It had been a _very_ long time since I'd gone out on the town willingly. Not that I was sure I was going _willingly_.

"

"

"

I left the dance floor, mind completely numb as I tried not to loose control, tried to hide my feelings from a certain female that was dancing like a seductress. And not with me. _It's not like you had the guts to ask her yourself you wuss,_ I thought angrily as I reached the bar, _Is it really a surprise that he pounced on the opportunity to dance with such a gorgeous woman? And is it a surprise that she would maybe want to actually dance with a partner for once?_

"Coke," I yelled at the bartender over the loud hip-hop music that was blasting over the speakers as I sagged against the counter. I felt exhausted and we hadn't even been here for more than thirty minutes.

"Hey Roky," Kagome asked, calling me by the nickname she had given me years ago, "You alright?"

She leaned against the counter next to me, turning to give me a concerned smile. "Oh yeah, I'm fine," I lied, plastering a smile on my face and hoped that it reached my eyes.

"Bull crap," she laughed, patting me on the shoulder. "You're about as 'ok' as a lobster in boiling water."

"Gee, that's a colorful description," I muttered. "But I really am ok, Kags."

"Uh-huh. Miroku, do you know what lobsters do when they get put into the boiling pot of water?" she asked, giving me a look and I knew she was going to tell me one of her random trivia facts.

"It gets cooked," I shrugged.

"No. It screams and grabs the side of the pot with its pinchers. _That_ by the way is the reason I can't eat lobster. Scared me for life seeing my mom cooking us lobster when I was 10," she shuddered. "You my friend, looked just like that lobster when you left the dance floor."

"I don't recall screaming. Nor do I have pinchers," I laughed.

"No. But you looked like you trying to run away from something very painful. Boiling alive is painful," she caught my eyes with hers and the words I feared flowed slowly from her mouth, "So is a heart being crushed."

I laughed, taking a long draw on my coke, "Kags, your imagination is as lively as ever. I promise you that my heart is _quite_ fine. Now, enough talking, how about a dance?" I asked quickly, leaving my barely touched drink and holding out a hand for her to take.

She didn't though, shaking her head. "Miroku," she said gently, eyes serious. "If you trust me then listen to the little bit of advice that I'm going to give you right now." I swallowed hard but listened. "Go and ask Sango to dance. She won't bite your head off, I can promise you that. In fact, I'm more than confident that you won't be disappointed with the results."

"What makes you think that I want to dance with San-" I started but she cut me off with a loud guffaw.

"Miroku, shut up already. I know you like her. And to put it bluntly, as your friend, you two have been circling each other for _way_ too long. I haven't said anything up front because I thought that was you guys' business, but enough is enough. Besides, it's been terribly unfair – you two teasing me about Mr. Taisho as if I had a chance with him. Plotting and talking about how there is something between us while you two can't even gather up enough guts to admit that you like each other. So, call this friendly payback," she smirked, crossing her arms over her chest and tapping her foot on the floor.

_I think I'm going to pass out,_ I thought numbly.

"

"

"

"

Miroku looked pale. _Maybe I was a bit too blunt,_ I worried. _Oh well, he'll thank me later._ I shrugged and gently gave him a push toward the dance floor where Sango was dancing with an attractive male who was obviously _very _interested. "Get your butt out there right now, mister," I chirped. "I'll be at the bar for a bit, but I'll be watching and if you don't get out there and I don't see you two dancing soon I _will_ charge in there and embarrass you further. I promise you. Just know, Roky, I do this out of love," I patted him on the back and added, "Now if you'll excuse me, I think a Kahlua cocktail is calling me."

I turned away and headed for the bar, ordering a mixed drink consisting of Kahlua, coconut milk and finely crushed ice. I sat, sipping on it slowly, and watched curiously as Miroku entered the floor. Despite my confident talk I wasn't 100 sure about the outcome of this idea of mine. Yes, they _had_ danced at the party last Friday – shocking as that had been – but that type of dancing was a bit different from the dancing going on at Club Atom. A memory of a well-muscled body close to mine made a blush stain my cheeks and I was forced to admit that the dancing at the ball had been, in it's own way, terribly intimate. _Too intimate_, I grumped stirring my drink a little too aggressively causing a few drops to fly out and onto the counter.

"A little energetic, there now aren't we," a smooth voice stated from beside my shoulder sounding vaguely familiar.

Startled slightly, I turned to see a strangely familiar face. "Excuse me," I asked politely.

"You spilled some of your drink," he pointed, and then ran a hand through his black hair. I struggled for a moment more to identify his face and then it clicked.

_Daddy Lecher,_ I cringed, _what luck._

"So, do you come here often?" he asked, sliding closer to me along the counter. _Eeew, he's like a slimy bug or something,_ I thought and I had the sudden mental image of a cockroach with his head scuttling along the counter towards me. _Ugh,_ I picked up a mental boot and smashed the disgusting image, wishing it were as easy to get rid of the real man. Of course, no such luck.

"Sometimes," I replied vaguely, taking another sip of my drink.

"You like to dance or are you just here for the drinks?" he smiled. I got the feeling that he was trying to look charming, but the true face of Daddy Lecher shone through the mask like a lighthouse beacon shines through fog. All too well.

"I like to dance sometimes," I answered dully, not looking at him but staring at my drink – a clear sign of disinterest. _Maybe he'll get the hint,_ I thought dreamily. _That would be nice – a perv that actually understood and listened to subtle hints. That would be… Revolutionary._

Sadly, there was no revolution in the World of Lechers and he was like every other perv. _Maybe that's what makes them a perv – a man who ignores all hints and proclamations of disinterest but continues to move forward. Hmm… What an interesting thought…_ I mused as he opened up his annoying trap yet again, "Well then, when you've finished your drink," he paused, glancing at my drink, "why don't you and I go out there on the floor."

"I like to drink slowly," I muttered around my straw. "You'll get bored. You should go ask someone else," I took a painfully small sip to prove my point.

He just laughed, "That's fine with me. I'll just join you. Besides, you're the only pretty woman here so I'm willing to wait."

"Did no one ever teach you that ridiculous flattery never gets you that far in life?" I asked, finally looking at him and quirking an eyebrow condescendingly.

"Oh," he chuckled, "But I wasn't being ridiculous."

"Oh," I stared at him dully, "But you were. Now the answer is 'no'."

"Stubborn aren't you," he smiled wolfishly then leaned in close and whispered, "I like that."

_Oh **gag**! I think I'm going to retch all over this counter. Oh hey, maybe if I do he'll leave me alone. There's a thought. I should just go with the flow and let my stomach go all out, _I thought as his breath, heavy with the smell of cigarettes and alcohol, flared on my neck and my ear. _Creepy Cockroach Daddy Lecher,_ I groaned.

"You're too sexy mami," he murmured and began to wrap his arm around my waist, pressing his body against mine. _That's it!_ I thought furiously. _You touched me with your creeping dirty hands and oh ga! Who **knows** where those have been! You are **so** dead!_ And just as I was forming my hand into a fist to hit him as hard as I could a familiar voice of silk and steel said from behind us, "As sexy as she is, I believe she said 'no', so I suggest you remove your hand from her person."

I froze, my fisted hand lifted off the counter several inches stopping dead in its tracks. _I must be losing my mind,_ I thought in confusion; _I'm so grossed out by Lecher Daddy and his creepy wandering hands that I'm imagining voices. Well now that's no good._

The thing was though that Cockroach Lecher had tensed too, his hand clutching convulsively on my waist. He turned to address someone behind us. _No, he **can't** be here. That's impossible, _I thought. _I must just be projecting his voice onto someone else's voice. _

"Look pal, she's fine," he smirked, "She just likes to play a little that's all."

"I suppose that's why she's practically bristling and has her hand fisted and on it's way to your face," the male behind us stated coolly.

"Huh," Lecher said unintelligently, whipping his face around to stare, sure enough, at the mentioned fist. Which was currently suspended in the air several inches above my drink. "Whatever," he scoffed, "She's just playing like I said. Some girls just like to play a little rougher than others – that's fine by me," he turned to smile at me, winking and squeezing my waist before inching his hand downwards. With a squeak I brought my hand violently back into action.

"Lecher," I yelped as I swung at his face full force. As my fist met his face I winced. _It's been a while,_ I thought grumpily. _Dang it that **hurts**!_ A hiss escaped from between my teeth as he howled, recoiling, cradling his face and shouting a colorful range of expletives. "Ouch," I muttered, shaking my injured hand. I heard a rich, familiar laugh and then I suddenly found my hand cradled gently in a much larger one. _I know those hands,_ I gasped, looking up quickly.

"Getting into trouble again, I see," he smirked, yellow eyes sparkling in amusement.

"Apparently," I answered breathlessly. I felt my cheeks getting warm and I tried to pull my hand away. He didn't budge.

"Are you alright," he purred, his tone sending warmth coursing through my veins as he turned my hand over to inspect it carefully, running his fingers over it gently as he checked for any swelling.

_No,_ I thought,_ my hand is throbbing and **you** are making me **dizzy**._ I said, "Yes, I'm fine. It doesn't hurt that badly."

"Hn," was his only reply. Apparently I wasn't fooling the youkai's nose.

A loud voice interrupted his inspection of my hand as Daddy Lecher finally straightened, a hand over his left eye, "You **bitch**, you **punched** me! Are you _insane_?!"

Before I could open my mouth to retort Sesshoumaru had released my hand and closed the small distance between himself and the injured pervert. Standing tall and daunting in front of him he growled, "Don't make me punch you. I promise you that it would make her punch feel like a mosquito bite. Besides, I think it's time you were getting home."

"Like Hell I am," was the snarled reply as he glared up at Sesshoumaru. _This man needs to be entered into Guinness as the world's biggest idiot and then promptly placed in an asylum,_ I thought in horror as Sesshoumaru cracked his knuckles. _Does he not realize **whom** he's talking to?_

By this time a crowd had gathered and had drawn the attention of the bouncers. This was a very fortunate thing for Daddy Lecher's health as they burst through the ring of people and managed to get their hands on him just in time… Before Sesshoumaru did whatever it was he was planning to do. Sesshoumaru shrugged and I blinked owlishly as I saw the muscles move under his dress shirt. _Oh my go-_

With a roughish smirk he turned and strode forward stopping directly in front of me. Capturing my eyes with his however, he took one more step bringing himself extremely close as he took my hand in his again and said mischievously, "I apologize for belittling your right hook."

"Oh," I laughed quietly, all the breath having abandoned my lungs when he came so close _and_ took my hand. "I think I can forgive you… Someday."

"Good," he purred and I felt my knees grow weak. _Heavens, I feel light-headed. _

"Just as long as you don't try to tell me that I brought this on myself by wearing these clothes," I mumbled quietly, trying to reclaim my eyes from liquid gold.

He looked at my shirt, breaking eye contact for a split second before returning his eyes to my face. "Ah, well, I have the feeling that even if you were wearing a gunny sack that you'd still have trouble so I'll be the last person to say that it's your choice of clothes at fault. Although, Kagome, I will tell you that as a male, you look unbelievably tempting in that shirt."

I blushed fiercely, unable to stop myself. _Did I just hear him right? Did Sesshoumaru just say – for the second time tonight – that I was sexy?_

"Oh, um… uh," I mumbled smoothly. _Genius, pure Einstein quality **genius** right here folks! Gather round!_

"You're welcome," he smiled, still holding onto my hand. I wondered momentarily if he realized he was still holding it or not but quickly got my answer when he squeezed it gently.

I shivered and said quickly, "So what brings you here anyway?" I looked him in the eye, my curiosity bubbling to the surface, "I thought from what you said this afternoon that this wasn't your type of thing?"

He chuckled, a low, rich sound deep in his throat. "I told you that I didn't mean for it to come out the way it did," he smiled.

"Fine," I frowned slightly, "but that still doesn't explain why you're here?"

"No, I suppose it doesn't," he sighed, "Let's just say that it's been a long time and I felt the desire to come out tonight."

I snorted, "Oh, right. And that's the _whole_ story?" He quirked an eyebrow at me, daring me to challenge his vague reply but I chose not to. Right now the important thing was to reclaim my hand and to put some distance in between us before I collapsed onto the floor, a puddle of mindless, drooling goop. I attempted to do just that but he held firm and then worse, pressed forward.

"

"

"

I can't accurately express the emotions that flew through me when I saw him with his hand on her waist, pressing his undeserving body against hers. The only thing that kept me from losing it was the satisfying sight of her fist flying towards his disgusting face. My temper was still raging though when I addressed him and it took all of my will to keep my voice cool.

He ignored me and just as I was about to physically remove him from the vicinity by less than gentle means he got a fist in the face. I couldn't stop the proud smile that pulled at my lips nor the laugh that burst forth. _Heavens, she's a little spitfire of a woman._ The smile immediately turned to a frown though as I heard her mutterings and I turned around to find her shaking her hand.

The protective urge that seemed to emerge most around her bubbled violently to the surface and I took her hand in mine, meaning at first to just see if she was alright. Unfortunately at the contact the memories of long hours dancing and being so close came rushing back with enough force to knock the air from my lungs, and I couldn't bring myself to release her hand. That was until the rat decided to screech more derogatory words in her direction.

Grudgingly I released her delicate hand and struggled to keep my temper in check as the object of my earlier ire continued to make an obnoxious racket and ignore reason. He was rescued from a great deal of pain and blood when the bouncers burst through the gawking crowd and physically removed him – in a much more gentle method than the one I had been planning on utilizing. As he was hauled cursing from the club the animalistic side of me felt a twinge of disappointment, but I quickly brushed the feeling away as I returned to Kagome, once again taking her hand in mine. _There must be a magnet in there,_ I thought, feeling disoriented and out of control being so close to her.

I talked with her, words spilling from my mouth while the cautious part of my brain was telling me to run, to pull away. The reckless part of me ignored it and before I knew it she was saying quietly, "Just as long as you don't try to tell me that I brought this on myself by wearing these clothes." And then I glanced down at her shirt and nearly lost my legs. _Does she have no idea the effect she would have on any male in **that** excuse for a shirt? Damn it, she looks beautiful._

Quickly returning my eyes to her face before I passed out I said, "Ah, well, I have the feeling that even if you were wearing a gunny sack that you'd still have trouble so I'll be the last person to say that your choice of clothes is at fault. Although, Kagome, I will tell you that as a male, you look unbelievably tempting in that shirt."

She blushed beautifully, eyes wide and mumbled, "Oh, um… uh…"

"You're welcome," I said quietly, holding her eyes with mine. As we continued talking and I answered her probing questions vaguely, I realized with horror that I wanted to ask her to dance. But that would be a disaster. She was after all to blame for my foul mood this week and dancing with her here – in that damned _shirt_ – would just be more than idiotic. It most certainly wouldn't get her out of my thoughts once and for all either, something I desperately needed to do. _Don't do it. Don't you dare ask her that question. It's taboo,_ I growled at the rebellious part of my brain that didn't want to pull away from her.

And then she tried to pull her hand away and the wild part of me took over, unhappy with the thought of her leaving and against my will I moved closer and said, voice low, "Would you be willing to dance with me or am I going to get the cold shoulder like the last man who asked you?"

_You did **not** just ask that you insufferable, imprudent rat,_ I seethed, trying to get my free hand to physically peel my other hand off of hers. My plan backfired however as I realized that hand had already become occupied by attaching itself to her hip. _And what a lovely hip it is,_ I thought before I could stop myself. Mentally cursing myself, the situation, and the enticing woman that I stood so close to, I barely managed to throw in an 'escape route' before the disobedient part of myself claimed full control over my tongue once more, "At least one dance – that is part of why you came here is it not?" It wasn't much but it was better than nothing. One dance _wouldn't_ kill me even though it would be torturous, but _more_ that one dance… That _would_ kill me.

The cursed part of my mind took over once more and smiling down at her I added, "So, what do you say?"

"

"

"

"Would you be willing to dance with me or am I going to get the cold shoulder like the last man who asked you?" he purred, bringing his other hand to rest on my hip. "At least one dance – that is part of why you came here is it not?" He smiled and added, "So, what do you say?"

_Oh my go- Say 'no', just say 'no'! Quick, before it's too late! He's been driving you insane all week, and this is** not** going to help Kagome. He'll just be even more of a headache. Say 'no'!_

"I think I could be convinced," my lips and tongue moved, forming the words and rebelling against the wise, intelligent part of my mind that demanded a _very_ different answer.

"Well, then," he smiled and I felt drunk as the room seemed to tilt and whirl, "I'll ask again: Kagome, will you dance with me?"

"Sure," I murmured, feeling hot and cold all at once. "Why not?"

"

"

"

"

Miroku suddenly stood next to us as the song neared its end. I looked up at him a bit surprised and noticed distantly that he looked nervous. I stopped dancing with the man whose name I had learned only a little bit ago. Yusuke was obviously not pleased with this turn of events but I hardly cared, my curiosity spiking as Miroku fidgeted uneasily.

"Sango," he finally all but blurted, "Will you dance with me?"

"I believe she and _I_ were dancing if you hadn't noticed," Yusuke stated, voice matter of fact.

"Yes, I had noticed," Miroku muttered, shooting Yusuke a look that obviously said "And I don't give a rat's ass."

Stunned I stood there for a moment, silent as I tried to process this odd change of events. Sure, Miroku had asked me dance last week, but that had been at a _ball_ and had been a big shock at the time anyway. He'd never asked me to dance at a club, though. I'd figured after a while that he never would either, even though secretly, he was of course, the only one that I wanted to be dancing with. Yet here he was, actually asking me to dance with him – while I already had a dance partner.

_Well he can't be asking me because he feels sorry for me since I'm not out here by myself, _I mused before I opened my mouth and answered as casually as possible, "Sure," I smiled, shrugging casually. _Can't let him now how confused and happy I am about this,_ I thought frantically as Yusuke pulled away with a huff. _Fine by me,_ I laughed, barely sparing him a glance.

Miroku smiled shyly then, taking my hand and making my heart skip a beat. _What **have** I gotten myself **into**?_ I wondered in disbelief as he pulled me close and then I just didn't care anymore. I lost myself in the moment.

I lost track of how long we'd been dancing, or how many songs had finished and begun, until suddenly I noticed two familiar figures threading their way through the crowd, and I couldn't stop the smile that grew on my face. "Well now, would you look at that," I smirked, "There goes our very own 'nothing is going on/I don't stand a chance with a guy like him' with the white-haired devil himself. What do you know? I think she was wrong," I added dryly.

"Just a _little_ bit," Miroku snorted, shaking his head.

"You know we'll have to tease her unmercifully about this," I smirked gleefully as the two of them disappeared from view, moving farther into the mass of people that filled the floor.

"We should give her a break," he murmured, pulling me close so that he could whisper into my ear. I shivered at the intimate gesture and for the umpteenth time, since we had begun dancing, I wondered if he was acting as more than just a friend. I didn't have the courage to dare to hope… "I think they'll get together on their own just fine judging from their past and present behavior."

"Oh," I breathed, barely able to think coherently with him in such close proximity. And then I nearly fainted as he pulled me closer and with utmost gentleness placed a kiss on my cheek. As heat shot through my whole body and I tried not to lose my feet, my legs feeling like wet spaghetti, I thought, _Oh, I guess I **can** dare to hope._ I turned around to face him, eyes wide, and found myself trapped in warm, violet depths. _Oh go-_

And then before I knew what I was doing I'd placed my hands on his firm chest, stood up on tiptoe and placed a small kiss on his lips like I had longed to do for far too long.

_Oh shite, what have I done?_ I thought as I pulled away, my mind racing in a bit of panic when he didn't respond, eyes growing wide. But then his eyes grew hungry and murmuring my name on his lips like a prayer, he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me to him, simultaneously bowing his head to claim my lips in his with a fierce, hungry kiss.

I blacked out.

"

"

"

_I have officially gone insane. Where's my straightjacket?_

I'd held her hand and led her out onto the floor, threading our way through the crowduntil we reached a small space that was less packed. And then I did something that was probably one of the stupidest things in my life: I danced with the little sprite – the woman who I still couldn't' decide if she was an angel or a mischievous devil. But whatever she was, I danced with her; only for one song, but one song was more than enough for me to feel like I was going to lose control, as well as any shred of dignity that I still had left. Feeling drunk, my mind reeling as it's alarm system blared, the song finally drew to a close and I thanked the gods that earlier I had managed to get my rebellious mouth to add "one dance" to my request. _A pitiful excuse for a victory,_ I thought sourly and tried not to wince as the scene that had taken place a several minutes ago flashed through my mind's eye. I still couldn't believe my loss of control. I knew I shouldn't ask her to dance; yet I did. Even worse, I'd _blatantly _flirted with her while asking her the question that I'd been ordering myself _not_ to ask.

We pulled apart, perspiring slightly and breathing a little heavily, and one half of my mind mourned the loss of closeness. The other part of me wanted to run away _immediately,_ while I still had _some_ control over my mutinous body.

"Well, Sesshoumaru," she smiled, a little short of breathe, "I must say I'm impressed. To be honest I didn't think you'd be able to handle this type of dancing."

I snorted, running a hand through my hair, "Well, your mistake Kagome. I'm not one to be underestimated."

"I'm beginning to get that feeling," she laughed. "Your timing earlier was uncanny."

I frowned, "Yes, well you seem to be a magnet for uncouth men. Every time I'm with you someone is either ogling you or feeling you up."

She laughed, "I do seem to have bad luck don't I?" she shook her head. "I honestly have no idea why."

_You are too clueless for your own good._

_I should leave now, _I thought as finally noticed that everyone else on the floor was dancing to the next song that had started as soon as the last had ended. _If I dance with her again I'll no doubt do something I'll regret later. I need to leave and put as much distance between the bewitching woman and myself as I possibly can. Right,_ I thought decisively, having made a concrete resolution that would not be overrun, changed, or tampered with in any way. _I will just tell her, right now, that I am leaving. And **nothing** is going to stop me,_ I thought haughtily, glad that I had finally conquered the wayward part of my mind.

"So, how about a cup of coffee," a voice asked and it took me a moment to realize that it was mine. Horrified I also noticed that at some point my hand had returned to rest comfortably on her waist. _You act like you think you belong there,_ I grumbled furiously, taking a moment to glare at the offending appendage.

Eyes widening briefly she said, "I don't think I can leave… I came with my friends so-," she stopped abruptly looking off to the right. Following her line of sight I saw the two people in question bring their lips together in a kiss as they continued to dance. "Or maybe it's not a problem," she laughed, eyes sparkling and happy. "Good grief, took them long enough," she smiled in their direction, eyes like a sapphire in sunlight and I found my free hand grasping hers. "Coffee sounds nice," she looked up at me, gentle blue ensnaring gold.

_At least we won't be dancing,_ I thought begrudgingly as we left the floor. _I suppose that's better than nothing._ _It doesn't fix the problem concerning her though. _I looked back at her and was gifted with one of her breath-taking smiles. _Then again, _I thought slowly, _maybe this is a problem I could get accustomed to…_

End Chapter.

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**どうもありがとうございました〜！**

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I really, really appreciate everything that you've all said – it helps sooo much and it really keeps me going so please keep it up ( '-' ) And hopefully I'm not disappointing anyone yet… (fingers crossed) - Hope you all are having a wonderful winter and having fun getting ready for any festivities you might have going on ( '-' )v And I know it's a bit early but just in case I don't get a new chapter up before Christmas, I'd like to wish everyone 'Happy Holidays'!!!

Yours truly m( '-' )m


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and cast do not belong to me. Not in the slightest. (; '-' ;) tear

Chapter 5: Resolution in the Stars

In yet another moment of weakness I had thought for a moment at the club that she was, as I had put it, "A problem that I could get used to." Concerning her moments of weakness had been far too numerous and after that night I came to a decision… We had been at the coffee shop for over an hour and a half talking comfortably, completely unaware of the time when she happened to glance at her watch and panicked since the trains had stopped running over an hour ago. I offered to drive her home and she thanked me, saying that she had to get up early tomorrow because she was volunteering at the soup kitchen. There was nothing overly wrong with that whole situation of course.

Nothing wrong, yet completely set up for disaster. The whole night had been stacked against me to make me weaker than I had been in years; specifically since the day I started going out with Rin's mother.

I walked her to her door, the polite thing to do. I waited as she found her keys, lost in the chasm that was her purse, and somewhere within that space of time the moon broke through the clouds and shone down on us, bathing her in the most glorious light. Finding her keys she looked up at me and as I saw the moon reflected in the twin blue pools of her eyes I felt my heart lurch in my chest. That was when I lost control. That was when wisdom abandoned me and my will failed. Before I knew what I was doing I had moved closer and was leaning towards her pale face, glowing under the white celestial body, intent on the full lips that were begging to be caressed. Blue eyes swirled with surprise and almost too late I returned to my senses and wished her a quick 'good night', turning on my heel and going down the steps as quickly as I could without actually running.

I had been weak once with a woman who had seemed kind, who had seemed fascinating, but that had only brought disaster and heartbreak. I wasn't ready to try again. I didn't want to try again. If I learned to let ago again then I was just opening myself up again and in truth my heart wasn't ready for it. I would not be weak again; I had sworn that on the day that my heart was razed by a cold-hearted woman who had been a master of deception. _I have not failed so far, and I will not fail now_, I decided as I walked to my car and opened the door. _My weakness concerning Kagome Higurashi ends tonight. From now I will stay away from her no matter how much the idiotic side of me wants to see her. Eventually it will quiet and I will be safe again…_

It took two weeks with an iron will, always reminding me of my promise, before the stubborn thoughts were silenced, finally snuffed out like the last remnants of a forest fire. Rin still spoke of her as much as she always did, but it did nothing to me now. I was finally immune to her charms and finally free from her grip.

I had finally beaten the angel.

"

"

"

I couldn't sleep for hours that night. The look I had seen in his eyes as he pulled away haunted me. It had all happened so fast that I couldn't be sure what his intentions had been, but my reaction had been all to clear, showing me exactly what I hoped he would do. My heart had raced and I had grown warm while all thoughts flew from my mind other than thoughts of him and how his body was pressed gently against mine and how his face was drawing painfully near.

I shivered again, just thinking about it. Even now, after all this time when I remember that moment under the moonlight where he had looked like a god from mythos I lose control of myself.

His eyes had been fiery, swirling with an emotion that I would have labeled as desire. That is if he hadn't suddenly stiffened, a strange emotion flashing through the gold, and suddenly pulled away from me with a curt 'good night.' That emotion, the last thing I saw in his eyes still bothered me, made my heart feel like someone was squeezing it in an iron grip. It had been a mixture of fear, heartbreak, and anger. I tossed and turned that night, tangling my sheets into a choking nest of silk, and pondered on how I could have made him so upset, what I could have done.

Whatever it was, it must have been something terrible because I didn't see him again. I realized after two weeks had past that I had been beginning to get used to him popping in or running into him at least once a week. Of course it was more than ridiculous for me to even get used to the idea of one of Japan's most famous people coming around to see me regularly. I had nothing to offer him that he couldn't get anywhere else. I knew that but I had, before I realized it, allowed a part of myself to begin grasping at hope, clinging to impossibility. _Stupid_.

I realized that the next day when Sango dropped by at night for a movie and had asked, eyebrow cocked in mischievous suspicion, "Soo, where did you two disappear to?"

"We went to a coffee shop a little ways away," I had answered calmly, telling my heart to stop getting all warm at the memory.

"Oooh, a coffee shop, huh?" she teased. "And what else happened?"

"Nothing," I said, "he just brought me home afterwards." My voice was nearly shaking by the end as the memories came flooding back with a painful force and in my mind's eye all I saw was a pair of golden eyes with dark emotions swirling in their depths. At the vision I felt my throat constrict and wetness prick my eyes as the feelings of unease that had kept me up for so much of the night came rushing back. _I had done something, something wrong._ Sitting there on the couch with my best friend I had had the sinking feeling that I would not be seeing the dog demon anytime soon.

"

"

"

I awoke with a start when Dad came home late that night, his aura so disturbed that it was like a cloud of impending doom pulling me from my dreaming. I wondered, surprised, when he had left and was about to go out into the hall to meet him when I heard him growl from outside his door, "I will not be weak again." And then, I knew.

He had gone to see Teacher. This was not a surprise. I had known he was greatly disturbed about her going to the club… But this? No, this reaction didn't make any sense. In other words, my father was being a foolish, stubborn idiot. He was going to shut her out, thinking she was like Mom. _He couldn't be more wrong the dolt,_ I growled as I held my yellow stuffed rabbit Miss Bunny tightly, nearly making her head pop off. Taking a deep breath I relaxed my hold on her and frowned as realization hit me. _He was scared. Scared of being hurt again._ Grandpa had told me that once, before he met my mother and fell for her, that my father had been untouchable. He had never given any woman the time of day, despite how many women were always throwing themselves at him. That was until he met mom and then as Grandpa put it, Dad came out of the clouds and opened up his heart like all of us normal people. And then slowly, over the period of time they were married, she began to break his heart, one little piece at a time, until there was nothing left but a pile of shattered fragments.

I didn't know what it felt like to have your heart broken by a lover. But I saw it in his eyes often enough, smelled it in his scent, to know that it was probably one of the most painful things living beings could experience. I knew the feeling of being heart broken by someone you had loved, your own flesh and blood, and it was excruciating. But, I suspected, that it was a different feeling than the one that my father had. He had come done out of the clouds, a creature above all the rest, and had trusted a woman with his most valued possession and then she had betrayed that trust and destroyed him. From that day my father had returned to his place amongst the stars and the moon where no one could touch him or see the dusty ashes of his heart. But then a woman, full of love and kindness, had come into our lives and yesterday, when I saw them together, I'd realized that he'd come down out of his fortress in the clouds and I'd never felt happier.

Now, though he was fighting it, his heart beating frantically in his panic as he flew towards the stars and there was nothing I could do to stop him. I felt tears prick my eyes as I hugged Miss Bunny gently and turned my back to the door, staring out the window at the rabbit in the moon and begged the stars to refuse my Father refuge in their icy realm where the heart never truly pulsed.

"

"

"

Whatever Sesshoumaru had done during the weekend he seemed to have succeeded in clearing out his mind and I found myself strangely disappointed. I was starting to get rather used to the constant entertainment of a distracted, disoriented Sesshoumaru. In fact I rather liked it. Father seemed just as puzzled by the sudden change as I was and just as disappointed. Of course Father was a closet romantic so he was probably more disappointed that Sesshoumaru seemed to have gotten over his little fascination.

I would kill to know what had happened.

"

"

"

"Hey Sango," I greeted, surprised, as I opened my door to find her on my doorstep Sunday morning.

"Hey," she greeted shyly and before I knew what I was doing my arm had snaked out, wrapping itself around her waist and pulled her through the entrance. Eyes wide, sparkling happily she stood on tiptoe and placed a gentle kiss on my lips. _I've died and gone to heaven._ _Kagome, **you **are an **angel**._

"So what brings you hear on a Sunday morning," I smiled, both arms now firmly wrapped around her perfect waist. _Heaven._ "Not that it's not the best way to start any day."

"I'm worried about Kagome," she confessed, warm brown eyes darkening momentarily.

"Oh why's that? Didn't they leave together on Friday?"

"Yeah, but she said they just went to a coffee shop and that he brought her home. But when she said it she seemed really upset and her voice got rough like it does when she's trying not to cry. She's not telling me something," Sango sighed, frowning prettily.

"Well," I sighed, running a hand over her hair, "As much as we'd like to help we can't do anything, or force anything, if she won't tell us what exactly is going on. I guess for now we'll have to do the hardest thing and just wait and hope for the best."

"I was afraid you'd say that," she muttered, lip in a pout. Staring at the fascinating protrusion I decided to put it back in its place. _Why couldn't I have tried to do this years ago,_ I thought giddily as I blissfully covered her mouth with mine.

"

"

"

It was July 20th, two days before Rin's 6th birthday. I had just walked through the door at 8 O'clock when a small blur threw itself at me, wrapping its arms firmly around my neck. It dangled there and said happily, "Welcome home Dad!"

Smiling at my daughter I dropped my briefcase sloppily on the floor with a 'thud' and wrapped an arm around her small form, giving her some support. "Hello to you too, Rin," I chuckled. "How is my girl doing today?"

"Great," she chirped excitedly. "I finished passing out all of my invitations today," she grinned broadly and I thought it might split her face in half. I was happy to see her smiling for once. For the past couple weeks she had seemed broody and her smiles had been less frequent causing me to worry. _Must have just been a passing phase,_ I thought happily.

"Glad to hear it," I chuckled, as her happiness caressed my tense muscles and forced them to relax. Sitting down on the couch I smirked, "I finished my shopping for a certain little girl today."

"Really," she smirked, "Would I be able to convince you to give me some early?"

"Not a chance."

"What if I gave you a great big kiss on the cheek?" she smiled wolfishly.

"Nice try, but no dice," I laughed. "Your Uncle Inuyasha told you he was coming, right?"

"Yup, he said Grandpa was coming for dinner after the party, too," she laughed. "I can't wait until Sunday," she squealed, bouncing up and down in my lap.

Suddenly she stopped and turned to look at me, grin still plastered on her face. "Did you get me the new DS?"

"Rin," I growled in warning, trying to smother the laughter that was bubbling up and begging for release. "You know my rule about the guessing game."

"

"

"

I sat on my black couch holding the little card in my hand staring at it as if I looked at it hard and long enough that it would reveal all of the world's secrets. Screwing my face up in concentration I glared at it harder for a moment before giving up the effort with a beleaguered sigh and set the card down on my lap.

It was from Rin. An invitation to her 6th birthday party. All on harmless white paper decorated with moons and stars. But I couldn't help but suspect that it was far from harmless, nor could I help but wonder if the man, who those stars and moons reminded me of, knew that I had received an invitation. _Well, I'll find that out soon enough,_ I decided, picking up the remote and laying down on the couch, trying to push all thoughts of the card and the man out of my mind.

"

"

"

The alarm went off with a screech, reminding me of a crow getting chased away on garbage day, and I groaned, slamming the snooze button before I pulled the sheets over my head. _Tired, _I moaned. _Not enough sleep. Just a little bit mo-_

"I see you baby, but stay in your lane. Take it easy. Keep getting at me, but stay in your lane, I ain't easy. My frame is crazy, but stay in your lane. Take it easy. You want me, but be easy. So look upon me, just stay in ya lane!" my cell blew up, Teairra Mari's voice shattering the silence.

I growled and shot my arm out from under the sheets, grabbing the cursed device and flipping it open groggily asking, "What?"

"Wake up," Miroku laughed. "It's 10:50 and you're supposed to be at the shelter in 40 minutes, remember? It's Saturday Kags."

"Forty minutes?" I muttered.

"Yes ma'am. Now up, up, up!" he said far too cheerfully.

"You're sick," I growled, throwing the sheets off, testy from lack of sleep.

"You wound me," he stated mournfully.

"You woke me," I grumbled. "It's what you get."

"I know," he laughed. "Well, see you later dear. Sango and I are both coming today since we don't have anything pressing until tonight."

"Aight, see you in 40 then," I sighed, opening the bathroom door as I closed the phone with a click.

Twenty minutes later I was showered, dressed and out the door, a croissant in my mouth as I locked up and flew down the flight of stairs. A short train ride and a jog later I arrived at the shelter, panting slightly. It was one of the reasons I hated the morning so much, I always felt rushed… Of course, that was probably because I could never wake up early enough and consequently was always short on time.

"Hello Ms. Morning," Sango greeted, grinning wolfishly and waving as she and Miroku stood outside the door. I noticed Miroku's hand on her back and had to bite back a giggle. It had been over a month since they had finally kissed but the idea of them being boyfriend and girlfriend – finally – still made me happy to the point of bursting.

"Good morning to you two, you lovebirds," I poked, smirking as I adjusted the purse on my shoulder. They both blushed furiously and I laughed. "Alright, let's go play with the babies," I said cheerfully, shaking my head in amusement as I passed them and walked through the door.

"Good morning Kagome," Ms. Kimura called cheerfully from behind the front desk. "The kids are looking forward to their walk," she smiled, her eyes nearly disappearing as her whole face crinkled into a bright smile, dimples on her round cheeks.

"So am I," I laughed, handing her my purse, which she put under the counter for safekeeping. Sango and Miroku walked through the door, causing the bell to chime again, and Kimura greeted them enthusiastically.

"All right then, let's see," she chuckled, standing up from her chair and walking around the desk to the door that led to the rooms where the animals were kept. "Kagome, today I'm going to give you the big guys. Sango, you and Miroku can take the rest." She picked up the massive pile of leashes and handed us each six.

Smiling, with a chuckle I asked, "The big guys huh? It's been a while."

"Exactly, now you three have fun and see you later," she waved and walked back through the door.

Sango shook her head laughing and approached the first cage that held a small Corgi, "I love that woman," she laughed.

"Me too," I smiled as I began putting a leash on a large Akita named Haru. Looking up I glanced at the Corgi and said, "That's the dog that Rin likes the best."

"Really," she asked and she and Miroku looked at the adorable little white and orange dog. "How's she doing?"

"Good," I muttered, stroking Haru unconsciously as I thought, "She gave me an invitation to her birthday party." I paused, straightening and tying Haru's leash to the chain link before I continued, "It's tomorrow though and I haven't decided what to get her or if I'm even going."

Sango's jaw dropped, "Are you kidding me?!" she screeched. "You **can't** not go!"

"And why not," I grumbled, unlocking the next cage and watching as Sachi, a little mix, came prancing happily out into the walkway. "I'm not… I think I'm not exactly on the best of terms with her father," I finally muttered.

"Oh that's ridiculous," she growled. "Look, I know something happened that night, I don't know what, but it doesn't matter. He likes you, he'll get over it. Now you're going and no excuses!" she nearly shouted. Laughing Miroku gave her a look that said "Breathe Sango, just breathe."

"Besides," he said more calmly, "You don't want to disappoint Rin do you?"

"Unfair," I growled. "Stop playing dirty."

"I'm just stating the facts," he replied shrugging and giving me an innocent look.

I glared and grumbled, "Fine, I'll go. But that doesn't fix the issue of the present."

"You honestly have _no_ ideas?" Sango asked dubiously.

Sighing I said, "Well actually, I'd love to give her Mai," I gestured at the Corgi. "His time is running out and she loves him so much…"

"Well then why don't you?" Miroku asked, obviously thinking it was simple.

"Because," I laughed, "I don't know if it would be ok with her father. He told me that they wanted to get one someday but they haven't yet so I don't think I should give her one now."

"Well, if worse comes to worse you could just keep him," Sango laughed. "But I don't think it will come to that," she smiled. "Come on Kags, just get her the dog. You know you want to."

"I'll think about it," I sighed in defeat. _Really I can't stand up to those two sometimes…_

Ten minutes later we'd split ways and taken our respective groups of dogs off into the downtown area for their morning walk.

"

"

"

It was noon and I was on my way to eat lunch with a client downtown. Walking swiftly through the crowd of people that always filled the sidewalks at lunchtime I was about two minutes from the restaurant where I would be meeting Mr. Kiruka. A little over a month ago the deal with him had gone south but after a little more persuasion I had managed to set up another meeting with him. That had been a week ago and now today we were meeting for lunch to discuss the final details of the arrangement. _I never have been one to take 'no' lying down,_ I thought chuckling when I noticed a large Akita dog, tongue lolling out the side of its mouth happily, zip past, it's leash growing taunt as the person on the other end tried not to budge. With a small sound of surprise I heard the sound of a foot landing hard on the sidewalk behind me. Mind stuttering as a familiar scent, the scent of clover and crown vetch under the sun, filled my nose and immediately clearing my lungs, I began to turn to look behind me. Before I had turned however, a small body slammed into mine as the dog pulled hard to the left, crossing in front of me.

"Oh! I'm so sorry," a voice, the voice that I had hoped to never hear again, cried apologetically. Closing my eyes momentarily, I hoped desperately that there could be another woman with that same scent and that same beautiful voice. In the end I knew it was impossible though, and fighting the urge to growl in frustration, I turned to face her.

It had been a month and six days since I had last seen her angelic face under the light of the moon.

_Not that I've been counting_.

"

"

"

I was looking at a restaurant window when I felt a sudden jerk on one of the leashes and with a lurch was yanked forward at an alarming rate. With a yelp of surprise I tried to slam my foot down onto the sidewalk but failed to get a good grip on the surface and before I knew it I had been slammed into a very solid, broad back covered in a black business suit.

"Oh! I'm so sorry," I cried out, my cheeks already growing red as I looked up to try and see the person I had just bumped into so roughly. A lock of long, white hair was the first thing I saw and I nearly fainted. _Oh go- no, it can't be…_ And then with a painful slowness time moved at a crawl as he turned around to face me and when his eyes, those damned gold eyes that were so mesmerizing, looked into mine I lost all the strength in my legs. Before I knew it I was melting, wilting like the evil witch in the Wizard of Oz, into the sidewalk. Dully I noted that I was going to hit the concrete with a, no doubt, painful smack when suddenly a strong, muscled arm snaked around my waist and held me aloft, pulling me upright. Breathlessly I looked up at him and when his eyes caught mine I felt painfully dizzy.

"Are you quite all right?" he asked, voice rumbling up out of his broad chest.

_Not in the slightest,_ I muttered in my head but said, "Oh, yes. Fine, fine. Sorry!" My cheeks grew hot again and I struggled to send messages from my brain to my malfunctioning limbs. _Stupid legs, quit pretending to be wet noodles already. Enough is enough. This is more than mortifying!_

"I'm sure," he said dubiously, eyebrow disappearing behind his bangs. "You just enjoy randomly crashing towards the sidewalk. A hobby, Ms. Higurashi?"

I blushed harder and spluttered, "I, I – Hardly! What are you saying? That's just ridiculous!" I shook my head and finished with a growl, "Just tired that's all." _Oh right, and honestly would **anyone** believe **that** lame excuse? Not likely. _

I finally managed to get my feet under me and as soon as he safely could he pulled his arm away from me like I was burning him or disgusting him. Straightening my shoulders I said in as business-like of a tone as I could manage despite being unbearably frazzled, "I'm terribly sorry about running into you like that. I didn't expect Haru to run forward like that. If there's anything I can do…"

"Hardly. You can't even call that 'running into me', it was far too light," he shrugged nonchalantly. He began to smile, light and warmth moving into his eyes, but suddenly with a frustrated spark lighting in the golden depths he frowned and his face gained a dull expression as he said, voice flat, "But if you will excuse me I have a dinner appointment with a client that I can't miss."

His strange behavior and the distant manner with which he was treating me made me nearly want cry, to mourn the loss of someone that I had been interested in – _only as a friend of course,_ I thought frantically denying that I had wanted him to be anything more.

_Then why does this hurt so damn much,_ the logical part of my brain queried and I had to resist the urge to growl in my irritation. Collecting my thoughts and forcing my voice to come out smoothly I said, "Oh, yes of course. I hope that you won't be late." At the end my voice quaked slightly, betraying me, and I clenched my fists, resisting the urge to curse out loud.

With a nod he had started to turn away, but at the change in my voice he stopped mid-step. Turning back to face me I watched as inside the eyes that had grown cold a battle raged. Opening his mouth and closing it with a snap, he clenched his fists and I waited to see what he would do next. Finally after the seconds ticked by, slower than molasses on a cold winter day, he opened his mouth a second time and said in a gruff voice, "Kagome." I waited for him to continue, feeling a shiver run up my spine at the sound of my name rolling from his lips. He paused and the battle continued to rage in his eyes until something cracked and he smiled, small and barely visible, but a smile at least. "Don't worry – it's fine. Have a wonderful day," he finished smiling more warmly and then with a gentle nod he turned and was quickly swallowed up by the crowd leaving me feeling like their was a hole somewhere, an emptiness that had never been there before.

For the millionth time since Rin had given me the card I found myself debating whether or not I should go…

"

"

"

I had fought a battle against the weaker part of myself and had nearly lost my hard-won resolve completely. I had been doing so well and now, just seeing her, was enough to make my resolution waver. I had even begun flirting with her before I realized what I was doing. Like an ex-smoker picking up, lighting a cigarette, and stuffing it in their mouth before they realized they had even picked it up, I had reacted to her like I had in the past. And then when I had strangled that behavior her voice had wavered and I had stopped. I failed. I couldn't stand to hear her voice like that, knowing that I was the cause, and my armor had cracked. Like a ball on the edge of cliff I could tell that the slightest breeze would knock me over the precipice and into the oblivion that was me freeing my heart. I felt a foreboding shiver run up my spine as I walked as fast from her as I could without actually running and muttered, "Thank God I should be able to avoid seeing her again for at least another month and a half, otherwise I'd be in trouble." I shoved my fists into my pockets and walked through the turning doors of the restaurant and tried to ignore the looks I attracted.

"

"

"

"She's going to bail, I can tell," Sango grumbled, twirling the straw in her cola violently. "And that just won't do."

I gave her a look and she huffed, "I know, you said no meddling but this is going too far!" She slammed her fist on the table and the brown liquid shot into the air dangerously, taking on the appearance of a cola geyser. "If we don't do something it's not going to get any better. She's too damned stubborn. And chicken," she finished glowering at me, daring me to challenge her. _Hmmm…Maybe I should just so I could have the pleasure of soothing her ruffled feathers._ With a mental shake I straightened my shoulders and took a sip of my iced coffee.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt just this once," I chuckled, "So I'm guessing you get to do the honors?" I smiled and her eyes softened, the fire cooling.

"Yes," she laughed, "I believe I will."

"

"

"

_I am going to lay here on my beloved, comfortable couch and read my book all day and not think about a certain male youkai. At all._ I had just reached this decision on Sunday morning when my door exploded with the sound of a fist slamming into it repeatedly with startling force. Squeaking and shooting straight up from the couch my book flew across the room as Sango's voice barked loudly from the other side of the door, "Kags! Don't even _think_ about it!"

"Gah! Sango, give me a friggin' heart attack! What?! You want to me die at an obscenely early age now or something, is that it?" I hollered back as I stormed around the end of my couch and stomped to the door in my robe and large fuzzy bear foot slippers. Turning the lock and yanking on the door with great force I glared at her, "What is going on, honestly? And what in the _world_ are you _talking_ about?!"

She glared right back and placed her hands on her hips and growled, "You," she stuck a finger in my face accusingly, "Are going to disappoint a little girl just because you are too much of a stubborn chicken!"

"I am not! He's the one that -" I cried, crossing my arms over my chest but she cut me off, shoving me gently back into the house.

"No excuses. You aren't going to sit on that couch and read all day!" She shut the door behind her and gave me another shove, pushing me towards the hall to my room. "Now. You are going to get dressed."

"No, I am not," I growled, stumbling as I was the victim of another shove.

Shaking her head she glowered at me and continued, "And you're going to get that dog and _then_ you're going to go to Rin's party."

"No, Sango, I can't," I sighed, "You don't understand. I ran into him yesterday. He doesn't want to see me."

"How do you know that?" she scoffed, and I received yet another push. "Did he actually _say_ that?"

"Well no, but I-"

"Well then there you go. He could have just been having a bad day or something," she shrugged and pushed me a final time through my bedroom door. "Besides, whatever his deal is – don't do it for him, do this for Rin. She'll be crushed if you don't come." She gave me a look and an image of Rin, eyes sad when she entered the classroom tomorrow and asked why I hadn't come, flashed before my mind's eye and I cursed mentally. _The heavens are far too cruel…_

"Fine. I'll go, I'll go, but you have to go pick up the dog. I don't have much time," I sighed and ran a hand through my hair, shaking off the ends that caught. She smiled and gave me a salute.

"Yes, ma'am! I'll be back right away with the dog!"

"No, meet me at the pet store on 7th street," I frowned thoughtfully, "If I'm giving her a dog I should get a few of the necessary items too. I'll get dressed and head over there."

"Alright Kags. See you soon then," she chirped cheerfully and waved as she practically skipped out of the room.

"Sure, you can be happy," I grumbled. "You aren't walking into a hellish situation in an hour."

"I heard that," she called as she opened the front door, the hinges squeaking loudly, "And quit complaining – I bet you'll have a great time! Bye!" The door slammed and I sat down on my bed, collapsing back onto it and flinging my arms wide as I stared at the ceiling.

"

"

"

I stood outside the door of a massive mansion and suddenly felt very small and insignificant. _Large house,_ I thought dully, staring at the elegant lines of the roof and the windows that reflected the warm blue sky and the few downy clouds that floated under the hot July sun. _Large house?_ I thought again._ This isn't a **house**. This is the size of a little hotel. He's either modest or stupid,_ I grumbled as I attempted to balance the large box I held on my hip so I could ring the doorbell. However, a familiar voice cried out from somewhere near the door and in a split second Rin was at the door, eyes bright and a beaming smile splitting her face as she opened the door with a flourish and cried, "Teacher! You came!"

_Sango was so right,_ I thought with a sigh, _I would have wanted to punch myself tomorrow if I hadn't come and had to see Rin's disappointed face._

"

"

"

"Teacher! You came!" Rin shouted ecstatically and my ears twitched. A smirk tugging at my lips I turned around to face the door and saw Rin's gorgeous teacher dressed in a pair of dark jeans and a silky black babydoll corset tunic, her long black hair falling around her shoulders in shimmering waves. _My brother is an idiot if he isn't interested in this woman,_ I thought, trying not to laugh as I walked up behind Rin to greet the woman that had thrown my brother's world into upheaval. Rin had delightedly invited her without Sesshoumaru's knowledge – with my encouragement of course. She wasn't the only one who had noticed his odd behavior concerning the woman and the second sudden behavior change a little over a month ago. She wasn't the only one who was disappointed by it. I loved my brother, even though we usually didn't get along, I did care about his welfare and as far as I was concerned living with a frozen heart wasn't a good way to live.

Smiling as I reached the door I said, "Ms. Higurashi. It's nice to finally personally meet Rin's teacher. She always speaks so highly of you." I reached out and took the large box she was struggling with and bowed slightly in greeting.

"Oh thank you," she smiled, bowing back more deeply I noticed. "It's a pleasure to meet you too, Inuyasha Taisho."

"Ah, so you already know who I am. I don't think I'll ever get used to never being able to be anonymous," I laughed and shifted the box to rest on my hip. "Well, please come in, come in. Everyone else is out back where the pool is," I gave her a measured look and she blushed as I asked, "You did bring your swimsuit didn't you? With it being a pool party and all."

"I did," she murmured, cheeks still blindingly red, "But I don't know if I will go into the pool or not…"

"Nonsense," I scoffed as I began walking towards the patio door, "You have to. You have no choice," I shook my head at her and then looked down at Rin who was walking next to us both, grinning like a fool. "Isn't that right Rin, she has no choice in the matter, does she?" I winked and she giggled happily.

"That's right Uncle. No choice," turning to Ms. Higurashi she grinned wickedly and said, "It's my birthday today so you _have_ to join in."

Ms. Higurashi groaned and said with long-suffering, "Alright, but only because I love you."

Rin grinned wolfishly and said, "I love you too. But you are _not_ getting off the hook." She giggled at Higurashi's disappointed pout and skipped to the patio door. Flinging it wide she shouted, "Dad, Higurashi-sensei is here!" In my lifetime I have only seen my brother grow **that** rigid a few times. _Oh this is going to be fun_, I thought giddily as I followed Higurashi outside who had apparently seen my brother stiffen and was now reeking of nervousness and equally stiff.

"

"

"

"Dad!" Rin shouted happily, "Higurashi-sensei is here!" I stiffened reflexively and inhaled deeply, catching her scent as it floated on the hot summer air. _No, this is not happening,_ I thought, knee-deep in denial. _I did not just hear her say that. Rin did not invite her without my knowledge…_ _But then why can I smell her? _the logical little voice in my head asked. _Curse it – that conniving daughter of mine. _

I turned around planning to nod brusquely and then immediately return to my grilling but yet again, a plan concerning her, did not go as I expected.

"

"

"

_Oh my gosh, this is more than painfully awkward,_ I moaned, _I want to leave right now!_ I resisted the urge to flee like a frightened deer and began saying the mantra that Sango had repeated over and over again earlier in the morning, _Do this for Rin, do this for Rin, do this for Rin._

He turned around quickly, long white hair swinging out like strands of silk floating on the wind and the movement would have been beautiful if it hadn't been for the ice in his golden eyes. I suddenly remembered that this man was a youkai, a creature that could kill me as easily as I could kill a slug when armed with a bucket of salt. In other words: too easily. _Oh my go- he's going to kill me. I'm going to die,_ was my first ridiculous thought when suddenly a small hand gripped mine, and a little girl's eyes, warm as hot chocolate on a cold winter morning, looked up at my eyes and I began to feel a gentle warmth wash over me.

When I looked up at Sesshoumaru again I saw those cold eyes holding the same look they'd held yesterday, the clashing of fire and ice. And suddenly something held deep within those eyes cracked and seemed to shatter into a million pieces and I shivered despite the heat. I had the feeling that something very significant had happened, but I wasn't sure what. I suddenly felt lost and relieved all at the same time. With the destruction of whatever I had seen in the pools of gold, his eyes flooded with the old warmth and I felt the familiar sensation of all the air fleeing my lungs with a _whoosh_. Whatever had happened, the Sesshoumaru I knew was back.

I couldn't have been happier.

"

"

"

I watched as Dad turned around, obviously completely intent on treating Teacher as coldly and distantly as he would a rival businessman. When he turned his ice-cold eyes on her, viewing her coolly from his throne in the stars, she stiffened and I could smell the fear rolling off of her in palpable waves. _Oh this is just ridiculous, Dad,_ I grumbled and took Higurashi-sensei's hand in mine and smiled up at her, trying to give her some measure of comfort. She noticeably relaxed at the contact and I breathed a little easier, the scent of her fear having been nearly suffocating.

When she looked up at my Dad again I followed her line of sight and I watched the battle that rage inside of him as I held her hand. _Get off your throne of ice already Dad,_ I growled, sending him a look that held a million words. And then the moment I had been hoping for passed and my Dad finally let go of the hurt and the fear and he became the warm person that I knew he really was.

It was the best birthday present I could have gotten.

"

"

"

It was done. The fight was over and I smiled at Kagome, the first true smile, for the first time in over a month and it felt unbelievably good. _Gah, I have been an idiot,_ I thought as she visibly relaxed and her eyes filled with sparkling warmth while a beautiful smile pulled at her full lips.

"Kagome," I smiled, setting down my spatula before walking up to her and Rin and did my best to ignore the smug look on Inuyasha's face. "I'm glad that you could make it! I'm sorry for yesterday, I'm afraid I'm been a bit stressed lately," I added quickly, suddenly remembering my gruff behavior from the day before.

She chuckled and waved a hand in dismissal and I reveled in her pleasant scent that now lacked the smell of fear. "Don't worry," she smiled, "I ran into you after all. Sorry about that."

I laughed and opened my mouth to say something when Inuyasha spoke up loudly, "Kagome – do you mind if I call you Kagome?" He smiled wickedly, glancing at me, and continued, "I'm going to put this over there in the present pile, ok?"

I resisted the urge to walk over and hit my little brother up side the head. Barely.

"Oh," she gasped, turning around rapidly, her hair flying out in a silky curtain and I found my eyes roaming up and down her figure for a few seconds as she mumbled, "Um, actually," she hesitated, "If you don't mind I think she should open it now. I know it's early, I'm sorry." She wrung her hands nervously as Inuyasha gave her a perplexed look.

"You apologize far too much Kagome," I laughed, coming up behind her causing her to jump slightly, "It's perfectly acceptable."

"Oh good," she breathed quietly and I smirked, happily realizing that even despite the time I had spent hiding from her my effect on her hadn't seemed to weaken at all. _I didn't realize it but I've missed doing this to her…_

"Um, if it's a bad present please let me know," she murmured quietly hands continuing their nervous movements. _Well now that's no good,_ I thought mischievously and placed my hands on her fragile shoulders, leaning forward to whisper in her ear.

"I think I've already figured out what it is, although you did a very good job disguising the scent… Special odor covering spray I'm guessing" I smiled and barely stopped myself from shivering as my lips accidentally grazed her ear. She however did shiver and I could tell she was feeling a bit unsteady. I resisted the urge to nuzzle into her neck to see how she would react and instead pulled back slightly, hands still resting gently on her shoulders, and watched as Rin took the box from Inuyasha who had a wicked smirk on his face and an impish light dancing in his eyes. _I'm going to have hell to pay for this aren't I,_ I thought, and suddenly I realized that I didn't care. I was feeling better, more _right_, than I had for over a month. There was something about the air around her; it was just _cleaner_.

The box tipped slightly in Rin's hands and her eyes grew wide as she turned to look questioningly at her beloved teacher. Kagome obviously gave no sign and with a puzzled look Rin turned back to the box and ripped open the paper with gusto, eager to find out exactly what was inside. With a cry she noticed the holes in the box and that there was no paper on the bottom, leaving several of the holes uncovered and her suspicions were obviously confirmed. Joyfully she tore into the top of the box, pieces of the cardboard flying left and right. I felt Kagome tense temporarily in surprise at the ease with which Rin demolished the thick cardboard and I chuckled, leaning forward to speak by her ear again, "Nothing much can stand between an excited youkai child and their present."

"I can see that," she laughed, relaxing. "She certainly is strong. I sometimes forget that since youkai often look almost like humans."

"Yes, well, we get that a lot these days. We're constantly surprising people by doing things that we've done for centuries. It can make a pretty entertaining game at times," I laughed, and placed a hand on her head, playfully ruffling her beautiful hair. With a gasp she turned in my grasp, grabbing my large hand with her small, delicate one and gave me a stern look.

"Mr. Taisho, I spent a lot of time on my hair this morning. Stop mussing it," she attempted to glare at me sternly but the slight twitching at the corner of her lips gave her away.

"Oh really, I didn't realize you didn't follow the current fashion of the bed-head look. It's all the rage now, you know," I smirked, removing my hand from her head and she released it as if it was scalding to the touch.

"No," she sniffed, giving off the air of a deeply offended person. "I'm far too old to pay attention to such a juvenile fad," she declared haughtily and I didn't miss the amusement that danced in her eyes at her own joke. I opened my mouth to remind her that compared to me she was an infant but she interrupted and with a giggled said, "Watch your daughter Mr. Taisho."

"Sesshoumaru," I corrected as my lip twitched and I tried not to laugh at her commanding tone. _Adorable teacher, thinks she make me do something just because she says so._

"Sesshoumaru," she repeated, "watch your daughter."

I turned to look at Rin who I knew was already having her face covered with kisses from a small dog, a Corgi to be specific. As Rin's delighted giggles filled the air and the dog barked happily I felt the sudden urge to do _something_ to show Kagome how much I appreciated the way she always made Rin so happy. An image of her face under the moon flashed across my mind's eye unbidden and my brain temporarily ceased working. I gave her a sidelong look and saw her smiling with full force as she watched Rin play with the little dog, eyes bright and happy. Feeling my eyes on her she turned to look at me, her smile wavering.

"Um, I know it was terribly presumptuous of me to get her the dog… I'm sure you would have liked to do that with her but, well, Rin has always loved Mai since he arrived at the shelter and…" she paused and after running a hand through her hair, bringing some of it over her shoulder, continued, "Well, his time was coming up soon and so…"

"Don't be ridiculous," I smiled, "It's the best present you could have gotten her. Truthfully I can't thank you enough." Shrugging I added, "You do realize that now you're going to have to go with me to dinner soon so that I can thank you properly." I smirked as she blushed, blue eyes widening.

"I-" she started, her heart beat having picked up in its pace, but Rin's gleeful squeal of, "Higurashi-sensei! Thank you **_so_** much!" cut her short. Jumping slightly in surprise she turned to look down at Rin's beaming face and smiled.

"Mai told me that he wanted to come live here with you and your Daddy," she chuckled, crouching down to be level with Rin and the round little dog she held easily in her small, muscled arms. Mai licked Kagome's nose affectionately and the thought, _Lucky dog,_ flew across my mind before I could stop it. I snorted quietly as Kagome giggled and ruffled the hair on the dog's head, in the same manner I had mussed her hair, and said, "Well Mai, you're in good hands now." Looking at Rin with a blinding smile she opened her arms and wrapped them around the dog and the little girl and squeezed gently, careful not to squish the dog as she chirped happily, "Happy Birthday Rin!"

"Thank you," Rin murmured and the scent of salt mixed with water tickled my nose as she tried not to cry. Rin rarely cried.

"

"

"

"Thank you," Rin said quietly, her voice shaking slightly and I wondered suddenly if she was about to cry. I'd never seen her do so before and I felt my heart clench uncomfortably.

"I'll go get the rest of the presents from the car," I smiled, running a hand over her hair, attempting to comfort the small girl that was unbelievably strong in so many ways. "You can open those later with the rest of your presents, ok?"

"Ok," she nodded, her voice growing stronger. I squeezed her one more time, being careful not to turn Mai into a pancake, and then released them and straightened in one fluid motion.

"I'll be right back," I smiled, "You should go show all of the kids that Mai's here. I'm sure they'll be excited to see him."

"Oh right," she giggled. "I kind of forgot about everyone," she mumbled, cheeks gaining a slight pink tint as her brown eyes widened. "Whoops."

"I'm sure they'll forgive you Rin," her father laughed, "I would just advise against telling them that you forgot about them. That's the trick." She nodded and with a smile set Mai down on the ground and ran off toward the large clump of kids that stood by the pool waiting for her.

I gave him a sidelong look and teased, "Teaching your daughter to be tricky are we now, Sesshoumaru."

"No such thing," he looked at me dully before he chuckled and said, "Now what's this about there being _more_ presents, Kagome? I think you already gave her more than enough – she's already about to blow up from happiness."

"It's just some stuff, nothing exciting," I laughed, shaking my head. "I'll be back."

"I'll come with you," he purred and I felt a pleasant flutter in my stomach. _I don't think I'll ever get tired of that voice,_ I thought, suddenly feeling drugged.

"Oh ok," I replied brilliantly before a strange smell wafted over on the breeze. Sniffing I began looking around as I tried to find the source of the scent that my brain dully noted was not a good thing to be smelling. And then it hit me. "Wait – Sesshoumaru, something… Something is _burning_."

"Wha-" he asked, eyes puzzled and then they grew wide and with a muttered curse he turned and flew at the grill where the hot dogs and burgers had turned into rock hard lumps of black charcoal. "Inuyasha, why didn't you take these off the grill?" he growled, sending his brother a glare.

"Hey, you hate it when I mess with your grill," Inuyasha smirked, shrugging nonchalantly.

"Oh shut up – if the food is getting burned then obviously you can ignore the usual rule, or at least tell me for heaven's sake," Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes as he deftly began removing the burned meat and placing it on a paper plate at the side of the grill.

"Hey now, you're the full blooded youkai with the _superior_ senses," Inuyasha laughed, "Why didn't you notice sooner? For crying out loud _Kagome_ noticed it before _you_! What's up with that, brother," Inuyasha's eyebrow rose in question and Sesshoumaru growled, dropping the last hotdog onto the plate and turning around with it in his left hand, his right hand brandishing the spatula.

"I was distracted," he glared.

"Oh really, by what?" Inuyasha grinned wolfishly, crossing his arms over his chest.

Eyes narrowing dangerously as he sent his younger brother a death glare he said through clenched teeth, "By Rin and her present."

I was trying desperately to hold in my laughter but I failed just as Inuyasha opened his mouth to reply. Bubbling up out of my chest and into my mouth, it pushed at my lips begging for release and finally I couldn't hold it in any longer. Shaking with laughter I sputtered, "Well, um, I'm going to go now," and with a loud, choked laugh I turned and scuttled for the patio door as quickly as I could.

"

"

"

"I will kill you _later_," Sesshoumaru growled, pointing the spatula at me threateningly after Kagome had left shaking with mirth.

"You don't dare," I laughed. "I have way too much blackmail on you now and you know it."

"I have no idea what you are talking about," he grumbled as he walked past me, nose in the air. "Would you please run to the store and get some more hamburger and hotdogs. We're a bit short now," he added as he walked inside, heading for the kitchen.

"Sure thing, Sesshoumaru," I laughed, rolling my eyes. "I'll deal with you later though so don't breathe easy yet."

"

"

"

I had been playing games with the children for a fair amount of time when one of the boys shouted loudly, "Let's play in the pool! It's so hot!"

The others had of course erupted with shouts of agreement and before I had time to blink twice they were already running towards the house to change into their swimsuits. "Well," I laughed when I was suddenly left by myself near the pool, "I guess it's time for me to go sit down on one of those comfortable looking chairs." I'd taken one step when a muscular arm snaked around my waist with surprising speed and a deep voice reverberated up from a broad chest that was now behind me and terribly close. _Does he always have to steal my breath?_ I grumped as I struggled to make the stuttering organs to do their job – skillfully – instead of the half-baked job they were currently doing. _Maybe I should go to the doctor and have them checked,_ I mused and then the sarcastic voice in my mind quipped snidely, _**Riiight**, and we know just how well **that** would go. Me: I seem to be having trouble breathing properly at times. Doctor: When do these symptoms usually occur? During exercise? Me: No, it only happens when Sesshoumaru Taisho gets close or speaks or looks at me or takes my hand or – Doctor: You idiot. Go home. Yes, it would go something like that,_ the voice laughed mockingly. _Oh shut up,_ I grumbled and tried to focus on what Sesshoumaru had been saying while I'd been thinking.

"What is this about you sitting in a chair," he'd asked and I realized with a start that I had yet to reply.

Giving myself a mental slap I spluttered, "Oh, yes. Um, the kids are going to get in the pool now so I-"

"You're planning on not joining in?" he purred, warm breath tickling my ear as he drew even closer.

"Uh, yes," I mumbled, distracted beyond belief by his presence. I was so distracted that it took me a moment to realize that the few parents that were at the party were staring, many of them with their jaws agape. Blushing fiercely I realized how the whole situation must look. I didn't realize how bad it really was though until I turned around to face him after he said my name.

"Yes?" I asked and that's when I realized that he wasn't wearing a shirt anymore. A quiet "eep" escaped my lips before I could stop myself and my cheeks grew painfully hot as I tried to look anywhere but the perfectly sculpted chest.

_Why in the world do they not have him take off his shirt when he advertises for the company,_ I thought randomly, mind skipping to the strangest place in its dizzy state. _Oh ga- what am I **thinking**?!_

"Kagome," he laughed, the sound bubbling up out of his chest. _Don't look, don't look,_ I thought as I turned my attention to his face. Catching the mirth in his eyes however I quickly decided to look at the house behind him instead. "You act as if you've never seen a man in a pair of swim trunks before," he chuckled.

_Oh I've seen males in swim trunks before but… not **anything** like this. Plus the models never walked out of the magazine page and wrapped their arms around my waist in front of a group of people. No, **this**, this is **far** different,_ I thought, mind numb as I tried to keep my disobedient eyes trained on the house. I failed for a second and with a hiss of breath I quickly tried to turn my eyes back to the building. _This is **so** not fair,_ I whined pitifully.

"Of course I have," I muttered, staring at a window behind him as if it was the most fascinating thing I had ever seen. "Don't be ridiculous," I finished with a scoff.

"Of course," he chuckled. "Now about this chair idea of yours. I don't think it's going to work."

"Oh really? And why is that," I said, trying to figure out how I could push away from him without touching his bare chest. I was coming very quickly to the conclusion that the only other option was to push against his bare arms which I realized with a quick glance were just as distracting and just as likely to make me completely lose any strength that was left in my already feeble legs.

"Because Rin will be terribly disappointed if you refuse to join in," he smirked, eyebrow cocking confidently, knowing that he had me.

"I'm sure she won't be," I bluffed, trying to ooze with a confidence that I of course didn't have.

"Nice try," he chuckled and flicked my nose gently with his free hand, his other hand still resting on my hip. "Now go change before I'm forced to throw you in the pool like this." He glanced down at my shirt and I shivered as his eyes took me in before they returned to my face and captured my eyes with golden heat, "It would be a shame to ruin such a nice shirt," he smirked, arm tightening around my waist.

"You _wouldn't_," I spluttered, eyes wide, stiffening in his grip.

"Would you like to test that theory Kagome," he purred, face drawing torturously close, our noses nearly touching.

"No," I squeaked, "I'll go if you'll let go of me."

A low rumble rolled up out of his chest and he closed his eyes briefly before he said, voice low, "I suppose I do have to let go of you… Too bad." And with that, he pulled his arm back, leaving me with a stuttering heart that seemed to have taken up permanent residence in my mouth.

_This man will be the death of me,_ I thought faintly as I tried to go to the house without falling flat on my face, legs unsteady.

"

"

"

I watched from the window of my bedroom as Dad flirted with Kagome causing her to nearly faint. Smiling I pulled my hair out of the tie that held it up in a high ponytail and continued to watch everything unfold. I giggled when he finally released her after nearly touching noses and left her reeling as she tried to walk to the house. I didn't miss the way he watched her as she turned her back to him, nor did I miss the happy glow that his eyes had regained.

I wouldn't forget to thank the stars tonight.

"  
"  
"

I came out of the house wishing desperately that I was wearing more clothes. I'd never felt self-conscious wearing a swimsuit – in fact I normally wore my bikini but seeing as it was a children's party I had opted for the more conservative black swimsuit. But knowing that Sesshoumaru was going to be seeing me in it I suddenly felt like I was in one of those dreams where you walk out in front of everyone and suddenly realize that you're stark naked. _Shoot me now, please. Somebody? Anybody?_

"Well Ms. Higurashi," a mother of one of the kids at the party spoke up from beside my shoulder. "You certainly seem to have caught Mr. Taisho's interest," she said, eyebrow rising in a calculating look.

I couldn't help it, I laughed. A startled look crossed her face before she rolled her eyes. "Oh don't even try to deny it," she shook her finger at me, "Any idiot can tell that the man is interested. You don't see him grabbing any other women now do you?"

"Of course not," I spluttered, "All the other women are _married_. He would never try to do anything to a married woman."

"No, of course not, but you're missing the point," she sighed and then patted me on the shoulder as if I was the most dull-witted human being she'd ever met. "Just take my word for it. You'll see." Shaking her head she walked away leaving me fighting with myself. I knew it was flirting – I wasn't stupid after all – but I didn't want to let myself admit it because then that would let me have hope again. And the last time I had let hope start to grow he'd avoided me for over month. And that right there was it. He _had_ avoided me, for whatever reason, and that was something we were going to have to discuss someday. I wasn't ready to admit that he'd left an aching hole in his wake, nor was I ready to throw caution to the wind just yet.

_It's just safer this way, _I thought as I stepped away from the house, trying to pull up every ounce of confidence that I had left. _Just say we're friends. Leave the ball in his court, that way if he decides not to ignore it, but picks it up and throws it back at me I can be pleasantly surprised._

When I reached the pool at the deep end I missed the mischievous glint in two pairs of eyes, one brown and one gold.

"

"

"

"Dad," I giggled, coming to the rim of the pool, grasping the tiles in my hands, "Throw Higurashi-sensei into the pool when she gets here."

"What?" he asked, looking down at me sharply from where he stood at the edge.

"You know you want to," I said in a singsong voice as I grinned wolfishly up at him, eyes bright.

"Hardly," he huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "I don't know where you would get that ridiculous idea."

"I saw you two," I stated dully, giving him a condescending look.

"That was nothing. I just enjoy teasing the woman," I muttered.

"Right, whatever Dad," I laughed. "Then _tease_ her by throwing her in the pool – it'll be priceless," I grinned.

"No, I won't," he glared.

"Well," Uncle Inuyasha smirked as he pulled himself out of the pool in a fluid motion, water cascading off of his muscled figure to splash on the concrete surrounding the pool, "If you don't want to do it." He shrugged and then stretched, "I'll be more than happy to do it. She's looking awfully fine in that swimsuit," he eyed her as she stood by the patio door talking to one of the parents, a lop-sided grin pulling at his lips.

"You will not lay a hand on her Inuyasha," Dad growled suddenly sending Uncle a look that spoke of endless pain, "Not a finger."

"Well, hey Sesshoumaru, just letting you know," he laughed, clasping his hands behind his head, "If you don't do it, I will, despite what you say. It'll be worth it," he grinned, a little on the lecherous side and I stifled a giggle as I saw that it was just enough to send Dad over the edge.

Just then Kagome arrived at the edge of the pool and as Inuyasha took a step toward her, golden eyes dancing wickedly, Dad sent him a glare that was enough to make Hell freeze over. Trying desperately not to laugh I watched as faster than I expected Dad swept Teacher up into his arms as if she weighed less than a butterfly and with great gentleness tossed her into the water before she even had the chance to yelp.

I noticed smugly that he looked a bit dazed from the sudden loss of contact.

"

"

"

I was sitting at home, laying on my couch and reading my book when for the second time that day the door exploded with the sound of a pounding fist. Eyebrow twitching in annoyance as my book was thrown spastically across the room, yet again, I stomped over to the door and glared through the peephole to see Sango and Miroku's grinning faces. Yanking the door open I sighed, "What is it now? And how the heck do you have this uncanny ability to catch me every time I just get settled with my book?"

"Good evening to you too, my dear," Sango chirped happily, grabbing me by the shoulders, turning me around to face the living room and forcefully pushing me back inside. She continued pushing until we reached the couch and I heard the sound of Miroku shutting the door as a chuckle escaped from his mouth.

"_So_," she asked, eyes sparkling, "How was Rin?"

"Fine," I said, glaring at her suspiciously. "She was really happy about Mai."

"Good, good," she smiled as Miroku sat down next to her. "And Mr. Taisho?"

"Oh Inuyasha? He seems to be very ornery," I answered, willfully ignoring the obvious meaning to her question.

"Yes, he's known for that," Miroku laughed, "But I believe what Sango meant to say was, 'How was Sesshoumaru?'"

"Oh, right. He was fine. You were right though Sango," I let myself smile slightly, "He was just having a bad day yesterday." I said it just to throw her a bone even though I knew that wasn't really why. There was another reason he had avoided me for so long but after today it hardly mattered. As I'd decided earlier in the afternoon that was something he and I would have to discuss eventually, but for now I was just happy to have contact with him.

At the thought of contact I blushed furiously before I could stop myself as I remembered the way it had felt in his arms… And then the way he had stopped my retaliatory splashing by – _Damn it – don't even go there – that belongs in the file with the other 'don't think about this ever again' incidences concerning him. We don't open that file Kagome,_ I thought frantically as I caught the gleeful glint in Sango and Miroku's eyes. _Curse it all but those two don't miss a dang thing do they?! This is terribly unfair,_ I pouted.

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"

"That Kagome is pretty gorgeous isn't she, Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha smirked after dinner as he leaned against the counter next to me, drying the dishes that I had rinsed. The new dishwasher wasn't arriving until tomorrow so we were doing things the old fashioned way; something I didn't really mind all that much, at least in a normal situation. However, having Inuyasha pushing my buttons every two seconds was far from normal and even farther from being bearable.

"Yes, she is an attractive woman, I suppose," I muttered, trying to keep myself from rising to take the bait he was dangling gleefully in front of my nose.

"I mean, _man_, did you _see _her in that swimsuit?" he asked, shaking his head appreciatively, "I usually don't find that type flattering but **boy**, on _her_," he whistled.

"You're being distasteful," I mumbled, a warning growl bubbling up in my throat as I roughly scrubbed the metal rack of the grill, taking out some of my pent up frustration on it.

"Being truthful," he grinned. "It's different. If I was being distasteful I would start talking in detail about the way her brea-"

My fist clenched while a vein throbbed on my forehead as my eyebrow twitched sporadically and the sound of shattering glass filled the room. Curiously Inuyasha glanced over to see what I had broken and with an eyebrow cocked he stated coolly, "You're bleeding and there's glass sticking out of your hand."

"Yes, I had begun to notice that," I shot back dryly as I began pulling the remains of Rin's little clear strawberry glass out my bleeding palms.

"Did my talking about her brea-" he began with a nonchalant expression on his face, but I quickly cut him off, shaking a bloody hand at him.

"Stop talking about her like she's a piece of meat Inuyasha. Stop talking about her period. She's Rin's _teacher_ for crying out loud, it's just inappropriate."

"Oh, but Sesshoumaru, I seem to remember several occasions today where you obviously didn't see her as 'Rin's teacher'. And don't try to tell me I was reading you wrong," he chuckled.

"You may not have been," I growled begrudgingly through gritted teeth as I pulled the last sliver out, "But it's no concern of yours."

"Relax, relax," Inuyasha laughed, snapping the towel at my back playfully, causing another warning growl to rumble up out of my chest, "I'm just teasing you Sesshoumaru. She's all yours. Frankly I'm so happy just to see actually _flirting_ with a woman. I'm _so_ happy that I'm not even going to try to flirt with her – at least not seriously," he finished, chuckling as he picked up the grill and began drying it.

"Why should I care if you did flirt with her you idiot," I muttered, rinsing my hands off as the gashes had already closed completely.

He gave me a knowing look that said it all and I was forced to turn away to glare at the last plate that remained in the sink. I wouldn't admit it yet. I wouldn't admit to my brother, or to anyone for that matter, that yes, my interest in Higurashi was far from strictly friendly. Very far from it…

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It was Wednesday afternoon and I was sitting in the massive leather chair behind my desk trying to think of what I could do to say thank you to Kagome. Since Sunday Rin had been so happy and she'd spent every moment she could with Mai. That dog seemed to really brightened up her days for the times I worked late, but there was something else too. I didn't know what exactly, but something about Kagome had touched Rin on her birthday and she was happier and more at peace again. She'd been moody and sometimes cross or brooding for the past month, often looking at me sadly or with frustration. It had really bothered me, but when I had tried talking to her about it she'd refused to tell me anything.

Whatever had been wrong, on Sunday Kagome had fixed it and I couldn't have been more grateful. She hadn't just given Rin something that day, though; she'd given me something as well. Every time I met her she was becoming more meaningful to me, more important. I still wasn't sure how I felt about it but I had given up keeping my heart hidden away where no one could touch it. It was too late, she'd already gotten her hands around it and there was no denying the heart that had begun beating again, even though I'd tried for the past month. On Sunday I'd given up, surrendered myself to whatever fate I had that had become tangled up with her. _Come what may,_ I thought with a sigh, leaning back in my chair as I continued to think.

_I want to do something for her, something to show her how much I appreciate everything she's done for Rin and I…_

And then it hit me. Straightening up in my chair I shouted at the door, "Ayame! I need you to get me a phone number!"

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"

"Tokyo Beat Magazine, Business Division, Miwa speaking. What can I do for you?" Miwa chirped cheerfully from her desk. "One moment please, I'll transfer you right away." Pushing the button on the panel she frowned and turned to me.

"Sango," she said dully, obviously a bit surprised. "You won't believe who just called for you."

"Oh really? That would be a first," I laughed. "We get calls from all sorts of people."

"Yeah, I know, but this is weird. Pick up the phone already," she pointed at the flashing light on my desk phone.

Picking it up I said, "Tokyo Beat Magazine, Sango Takahashi speaking."

A famous, low, rich male voice responded from the other side of the line, "Good afternoon Ms. Takahashi. This is Se-"

"Sesshoumaru Taisho," I spluttered greatly surprised despite Miwa's warning.

"Oh," he said a little taken aback. _Of course he is you idiot, you just cut him off. Smooth, real smooth Sango. _"I apologize for calling you at work, but it seemed like the best place to get a hold of you and I have a favor to ask."

"Oh, it's no problem at all. I'm just a bit surprised, that's all. You've never called here directly before. In fact I don't' think you've even had your secretary call any magazine for you before – at least that's the belief in the press world. You're a bit notorious for hiding from the press as much as possible," I chuckled.

"Yes," he chuckled, "I guess you'll have some bragging rights after this phone call. But I'm hoping that you won't advertise this to the world." I could feel the dry smile in his voice and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Understood. So what can I do for you Mr. Taisho?"

"I'm planning on doing something for Ms. Higurashi and was wondering if you would be willing to assist me? Are you free tomorrow night? It's the last day of school so I thought it would be a good night for her."

"Oh yeah," I tried to not let out a victory whoop and continued, "I'm completely free."

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It was the last day of the last week of school before the summer break and I was feeling a bit tired. Apparently the combination of kids eager for freedom and consequently with hyperactivity through the roof, two best friends that continually hounded you without mercy _and _thoughts of a particular male chasing themselves endlessly around and around the inside of my skull for over four days was enough to sap a significant amount of my usual energy_. Big surprise_.

I was sitting at my desk, explaining to the kids that there would be no assignment for the summer – I'd always hated it when any of my teachers assigned summer homework. Rubbish in my opinion… At least at the elementary level. I'd finished explaining that and was just moving on to encourage the kids to still keep track of the news and still volunteer during the summer when there was a knock on the door. Puzzled I said a bit uncertainly, "Come in."

Ms. Suzuki poked her head around the door and with her permanently frowning mouth grumbled, "I need to see you in the office after the bell Higurashi."

"Oh," I murmured puzzled and feeling a bit apprehensive. "Understood, I'll be there, thank you."

"Hn," was her only reply as she shut the door with a 'click!' and left me there in my chair wondering what my fate would be after the bell rang. I didn't have to wait long as it rang less than a minute later and with squeals of excitement the children flew from their desks to their cubbies and then out the door. Following at a much slower rate I picked up my briefcase and headed to the office.

The secretary, Mrs. Kumi grimaced when she saw me at first but then tried to cover it up with a quick smile that didn't reach her eyes. "She's waiting for you," she muttered.

"Thank you," I murmured distractedly as I walked past her desk to Ms. Suzuki's office door. Knocking on it I opened my mouth to say the customary polite phrase but I was cut off by a gruff voice on the other side.

"Oh hurry up and get in here already Higurashi," she grumped from behind her desk.

"Yes ma'am," I squeaked and opened the door and took a seat in the chair she pointed up at grumpily.

"You," she shook her finger at me, face twisted in a wrinkly scowl. _That's most unbecoming,_ I thought before I could stop myself and had to resist the sudden urge to giggle at her unhappy face.

"Me?" I asked when she didn't continue.

"You are giving me a _headache_," she finally said, glaring at me accusingly.

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't understand… What exactly have I done to give you a headache Ms. Suzuki?"

"At parent/teacher's conference many of the parents complained to you about the volunteer work you were doing with the kids," she stated dully continuing to give me a look that spelled deep-rooted annoyance.

"Oh, _that_," I giggled nervously. "Yes, they said that it was below their child to be doing something like that."

"Yes, and you haven't _stopped_ Ms. Higurashi," she accused.

"Guilty as charged Ms. Suzuki," I sighed trying to stop the simmering anger that was starting to bubble up. "But I fail to see what the problem is? The children haven't complained as far as I know – in fact they seem to enjoy it."

"That is not the point Higurashi," she growled, "I wish it was but this is a private institution and we are heavily dependent on the donations from our patrons – most of which are the parents that you seem to have managed to piss off so royally – and only after one semester of school! Was it your goal to have them calling the office several times a week to ask me to stop you? Now they're demanding that you be fired or they'll withdraw financial support."

"What?!" I spluttered. "Fired? They want to have me _fired?_"

"Yes, now what would you like me to do about it?" she glowered over her desk at me.

"Well not fire me of course," I grumbled, glaring back, the simmering anger coming to a boil. "It's just ridiculous."

"I agree; it is ridiculous. However, their generous funding is key and I cannot deny them forever. I've been fighting them off for a semester, but enough is enough. I think their behavior is ridiculous and completely appalling, _but_ as hard as I try I've been unable to convince them that it's a good thing for their kids. A few of them say that volunteering is fine but not for kids their age. The others are just stuck up beyond belief."

"But one of the reasons I became a teacher Suzuki-san was so that I could help shape the future and teaching kids to notice and care about the world around them is one of the best ways I know how. Is that not the goal of this school? Is money more important than their future?" I growled, already knowing what her answer would be.

"That is the way the world works Higurashi, I'm surprised you hadn't figured it out already. If we don't have the money to run the school the children won't get the education they deserve – of course they could just go to another school, but I'd rather not have this school get shut down. I don't like this any more than you, hence the headache because I don't want to fire you but…"

She left the sentence hanging and I wanted to yell in frustration, but before I could indulge myself she squirmed in her seat and muttered, "I don't want to fire you nor do I want to give up this program of yours just yet so I've told all of the parents with complaints to come to the school tonight for a meeting."

"I see," I mumbled, clenching and unclenching my fists as I began to get the picture.

"You're going to try one more time to convince them that this is a good idea. If it fails then you'll either have to drop or alter the idea or I'll have to let you go. I hope it doesn't come to that so do your best tonight. The meeting is at 8 since most of the parents work late and couldn't change their schedules on such short notice."

"Alright. What room?" I felt numb; tired and numb.

"Your classroom," she sighed, "Good luck; you'll need it. Now get out of here and get ready. Convince them that it's as brilliant as I know it is," she ran a hand over her face suddenly looking more tired than perturbed.

"Understood," I stood and bowing slightly excused myself and left the room. _I'm dead,_ I moaned. _Dead. They're going to eat me alive…Guess I better call Sango and cancel for tonight. I have a feeling this meeting is going to be excruciatingly **long**…_

End Chapter

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Hey everyone, I'm really sorry this is so late – but maybe it can still be like a late Christmas present? \( '-' )/ Anyway, if you didn't read my profile lately here is the reason for the delay: my mom just got diagnosed with cancer so I've been a bit out of it. Since I found out I haven't really been able to think that well and my bf has been worried about me – with it being Christmas and all – so he's been with me non-stop since I found out, trying to keep me distracted by taking me different places in Tokyo. So needless to say I haven't really had the necessary sit down time or the thinking power to write until yesterday and then today the construction people came to replace part of wall that got damaged last month and the behemoths knocked out our bloody internet. ( '-' #) Not surprisingly I was consideralby miffed and terrbily determined to get this uploaded so I literally took the thing out of the wall, unscrewing it with my nails as I have no screwdriver, began pushing on random parts and then stuck it back in the wall - and wallah! I had fixed it. Thank God. I feel quite accomplished though ( '-' ) I didn't even have to call the internet company to come and fix it ( '-' )v

Anyway, I'm done now! Yay! So sorry for the wait and I'm really sorry I didn't get it done in time for Christmas (; '-';) But, I hope you all like it. I'm going to start writing the next chapter today – I have finals coming up again for the next few weeks so I'm going to try to get an early start! ( '-' )v Thanks for all the reviews – they are really the only reason I'm even done right now as it is – so please let me know what you think of the chapter – hope it's ok ( '-' )d And my apologies if it sucks. ( OO;)

Thanks again, and a late Merry Christmas,

Bloodrain's tears

\( '-' )/

**Note**: In Japan they see a rabbit in the moon pounding mochi (pounded glutinous rice) instead of the man in the moon – so that's what Rin was talking about when she said 'the rabbit in the moon'. Just in case that seemed weird. ( '-' )v

I've looked for the rabbit for quite a while and never managed to see anything other than the man until a few weeks ago on a beautiful night when I was walking over the bridge by the train station. It's actually quite clear if you look at it right…


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Please see first chapter – thank you \( '-' )/

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Chapter 6: The Trouble with Dimwits and Prodigies

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My phone rang early Thursday afternoon and glancing at the caller id I discovered that it was Kagome. Curious, I pushed the button and spoke into the receiver, "Yes ma'am, what's up?"

"Sango," she said, voice stressed, "I'm so sorry but I'm going to have to cancel tonight. Would tomorrow be ok?"

"Sure, of course," I answered, eyebrow rising unconsciously. "But what's up Kags, you sound kind of stressed?"

A bark of laughter was my only answer before she said, obviously through gritted teeth, "I'm going to be fighting a pack of wolves for my job tonight at a meeting."

"Huh?" I asked, completely lost. "Kags, quit using metaphors with no context. What the heck is going on?"

She sighed and I could imagine her running a hand through her hair, a common nervous habit of hers. "A group of the parents have been calling and complaining to the school all semester about my volunteer project with the kids, and I guess now they've threatened to withdraw funding from the school unless I drop the program _or_ get the shaft. My boss has been fighting them as long as she could, but she's at the end of the line now so she's organized a meeting for today at 8 between the parents and me, to give me once more chance to convince them that it _is_ a good idea," she finished, her voice having continued to rise until she was nearly yelling. "Urgh! I am _so_ livid right now Sango, you have no idea!" she cried.

"Actually, I think I do have an idea," I yelled into the phone as I held it at arm's length to keep my eardrums intact. "And I don't blame you. Well, I wish you luck hun and I'll be thinking about you – you beat their idiotic asses, all right Kags? And we'll have fun tomorrow, k? No worries about tonight," I smiled as I put the phone back up to my ear.

"Ok, thanks Sango. I'll do my best," she sighed, sounding tired. "I just wish I could somehow physically wound them," she muttered.

"You could always try," I suggested, laughing.

"Maybe I will," she chuckled. "See you tomorrow then."

"Un, tomorrow," I cut the connection and then searched on my desk for the piece of paper with Sesshoumaru's phone number on it. _Thank heavens it's early in the day so I'll be able to catch him before he leaves work and gets started on things._

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"Mr. Taisho, you have a phone call from Tokyo Beat Magazine, Sango Takahashi," Ayame called, poking her head around the door.

Looking up over the files I was currently scanning I cocked an eyebrow in slight surprise and murmured, "Thank you Ayame," as I set down the papers. Picking the receiver up from the cradle and pinning it between my shoulder and ear I pressed the flashing call waiting button and said, "Hello Ms. Takahashi, what can I do for you?"

"Tough luck Mr. Taisho but something came up and Kagome just called me to cancel for tonight," she answered sounding disappointed. _You aren't the only one,_ I thought.

"What's come up, is everything alright?" I asked, tapping my pen on the desk with a sluggish rhythm.

"Actually she's in a bit of trouble," she replied hesitantly.

"Again?" I asked incredulously before I could stop myself.

"Wha-" she started and then suddenly laughed. "Oh, yes, again."

"Has she always created such a commotion or is there just something about her in combination with the citizens of Tokyo?" I asked chuckling.

"No," Sango snorted, "She's always been like this as far as I know."

"Well, what is she caught in the thick of now?" I sighed and couldn't keep myself from smiling. Inuyasha looked at me from behind his desk with a smirk and I quickly smothered the smile that had bordered on affectionate.

"She seems to have royally pissed off some of the influential parents of her students and they're demanding her head as payment," she answered.

"Ah, I see. The volunteer program? She did mention once – the night of the conferences – that some of them didn't seem happy with the idea," I tapped the pen a little bit faster, wheels and gears starting to spin quickly.

"Well apparently tonight the principle's called a meeting for Kagome to try one more time to convince them that it's a good idea. If she fails then either she drops the program or gets the shaft. Basically it doesn't look too good since according to Kags the principle has been fighting with them about it all semester," she sighed. "I can't believe they actually have a _problem_ with what she's doing. It's outrageous. And usually it's popular among the elite to donate or contribute to different charities I thought. At least that was my impression, maybe I was mistaken."

"No, you weren't mistaken," I growled, "It's just the popular thing is to give their money, not to actually put their own sweat into the process. It's different to pull paper out of your wallet than it is to get down in the dirt and grime with the people or things that are suffering." The pin moved at a rapid rate while the whirring and clunking of the gears and wheels in my mind were spinning with alarming speed.

"I guess I'd never thought of it that way," she muttered.

"There are those get involved physically of course, but it's far more common to just give of your wallet," I laughed dryly, without humor and then the wheels clicked into place and all the pieces came together to create the picture I had been trying to form in my mind.

"Sango, I have an idea. I'm going to go on with the plan for tonight except I'll be taking her to dinner from the school, not her apartment. I'll be going to the meeting, as well, to sort out these idiots and try to keep her from getting fired – Rin would be most upset if she lost her as a teacher," I said, stilling the pen and Inuyasha sighed in relief, sending me an annoyed glare. "Does that sound alright?"

"Yes, actually that sounds wonderful. Poor thing seemed so tired and stressed when I spoke to her. And angry," she chuckled. "Little spitfire was practically gnashing her teeth."

"I can imagine, that seems like her," I chuckled. "Alright, did she happen to mention the time of the meeting?" I asked.

"Eight," she replied promptly.

"Alright then I will meet you at her apartment at 7 with the package if that's a good time for you?"

"Yes, 7 sounds perfect," she chuckled. "See you later then."

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"I am an idiot," I muttered as I reached the door to Kagome's apartment and remembered an important little detail that was actually fairly key to Sesshoumaru's plan working. _The_ key.

Just then I heard footsteps coming up the flight of stairs and I turned to find him nearing the top of the stairs, a large box in his arms. He hadn't told me yet what he planned to buy her but I had a pretty good idea that it was a pet of some type since it mattered if I was free or not. Specifically, free to stay at Kagome's and watch _it_ while they went out to dinner.

When he reached the top my curiosity was already near the bursting point so I didn't hesitate to lean over the top of the box and look inside. Eyes widening I quickly looked up at him, "Oh, wow."

His only response was to grin roguishly and I breathed, "Sesshoumaru, how did you-" I shook my head to put my thoughts in order and laughed, grinning up at him, "She _may just_ **kiss** you for this, you know?"

"I'm just trying to express my gratitude for how happy she made Rin on Sunday," he muttered but I didn't miss the giddy, warm look that had flashed through his eyes at my words. _Sure, I know you are. But I also know you wouldn't mind a little bonus lip action,_ I smirked.

"So," he said, voice raising slightly as he adjusted the box gently so as not to disturb the cargo. "Shall we go inside – I have several other things that I need to bring in from the car so we should probably hurry."

Memory flooding back I moaned, slapping myself in the forehead causing him to grimace slightly. "Key," I said as if that explained everything. Amazingly he got it.

"Key?" he asked. "You're kidding."

We both stood there for a minute the moonlight shining down on the three of us. Glancing at the door he scowled at it and then setting down the box he walked over to the object that was blocking him from reaching his goal. I watched curiously as he reached out a hand and delicately placed one of his long claws in the keyhole. There was a sudden eerie glow in his fingertips and then there just was no more keyhole. It was nothing more than a puddle of oozing acid mixed with metal bubbling on the doorstep and eating a hole through Kagome's welcome mat. The character was suddenly headless.

"Oh my go- what did you _do?!_" I yelped when I finally got my mouth to function again.

"I melted it," he replied nonchalantly.

"I can see that but – gah! I thought you were going to _pick_ the damn thing, not **melt** it!" I pointed emphatically at the twisted remnant that had once been Kagome's doorknob. "And look at her welcome mat!" I cried, turning his attention to the maimed mat.

"Oh dear, the dog seems to be missing it's head," he replied dully, lip twitching in amusement.

"Yes," I hissed, "Because you melted it!"

Turning to look at me with a rascally mirth in his eyes he gave me a lopsided grin and said, "Please Ms. Takahashi, calm down. I will buy her a new lock and doorknob as well as a replacement welcome mat. This is nothing to get upset over really. You act as if you've never seen a demon melt something," he flicked a strand of hair over his shoulder, eyes dangerous and full of mischief, and I was reminded quite suddenly as the moonlight made his hair glow in an unearthly manner that Sesshoumaru Taisho was far from human.

"I _haven't_ seen a demon melt anything before, for your information," I sniffed and crossed my arms over my chest, "And what if they don't sell that mat in stores anymore? Then what are you going to do? Honestly, did you really _have_ to melt it?"

"No," he laughed, "But it's been so long since I've melted anything." He cracked his knuckles and smiled, "It felt quite nice; I have to admit."

"Kagome is _never_ going to believe this," I muttered.

He laughed and bent down to pick up the box, "Well, shall we go inside? Oh and be careful not to step in that – the acid's going to be active for a bit longer."

"Oh of course. Watch out for the acid," I rolled my eyes as I warily followed him through the doorway. "And for how long exactly?" I asked dryly.

"About another 30 minutes I suppose," he shrugged, setting the box down on the floor, "I only released a small amount, and a weak version at that."

"Oh, well, that's a comfort," I chuckled, and then with a sigh finally decided to let it go. It was done and I supposed someday it would be something we could all laugh about when one of us said, "Hey remember that time Sesshoumaru melted your doorknob and killed your door mat?" _Besides,_ I realized as I sat down on the couch and looked at the present intended for Kags, _Once she sees this I think she'll be more than willing to forgive Sesshoumaru for practically breaking into her house. And forgive me for helping him_, I laughed.

"I'll be back, if you stay here and-"

"Understood, I'll be right here," I smiled, waving at him to go.

"Thank you," he smiled and opened the door silently and on equally silent feet crossed the mantle. Puzzled I wondered at this oddity until I realized with a start that he must have been purposely making noise on the stairs earlier so that he didn't startle me. I shook my head and muttered, "Youkai are just a little freaky sometimes."

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I entered the room and was immediately hit full force by a room full of glares, none of which were mild by any stretch of the imagination. I was reminded suddenly that there was a very large range of emotions that could accompany a glare and for the first time in my life I was being the recipient of what may possibly have been the entire range. _I suppose I should feel privileged,_ I thought dryly as I set my briefcase down on my desk and turned to face the parents that were gathered in the classroom.

"Good evening," I started, clasping my hands together and bowing low, eyes to the floor to show respect. _As much as you would like to wring their annoying necks the best thing to do is be professional,_ I thought firmly as a part of me struggled and rebelled against this logical thinking. But _oh,_ I wanted to throw a fit _so_ badly!

"As you all know this meeting is to discuss-" I started but was quickly cut off by a large, pig-eyed man.

"To discuss the dropping of this ridiculous program of yours _or_ you getting fired," he said loudly, large gut jiggling slightly beneath his white business shirt. "Yes," he grinned wolfishly and his fangs glinted slightly, "We are all quite aware of the details Ms. Higurashi."

"Yes," another parent, a woman with long blonde hair sneered, crossing her long bare legs and running a hand through her dyed hair, "Let's get on with this already. Do you drop the program or do you resign?"

The others nodded in agreement and I felt my cheeks flush in anger. _No **respect**! No respect whatsoever; the snobby bastards – I'll show them what I-_ I paused and took a deep breath, brushing my hands over the twill business suit I wore as I tried to calm myself. "I was given the impression that I had one more chance to speak with you all about why I think it's such a good thing for the children to participate in volunteer work," I said, fighting to keep my voice from quaking.

"We all heard your opinions at the conferences Higurashi," another male, this one with a disgusted expression filling his eyes, spoke up loudly. "We didn't agree with them any more then so what makes you think anything you say now will change our minds?"

"I may not be able to convince you, but I would at least appreciate the same respect from you all that I've given you. I would appreciate the right to speak. Or are low people like me, the only ones suitable for doing the type of volunteer work that you have deemed disgusting, not to be given an respect? Am I just one of the untouchables of society? Or do I get the chance to speak?" I glared at the room of hostile parents and tried not to scream in frustration.

"This isn't about respect Higurashi," another man scoffed. "This is about you stepping out of your place and learning to face the consequences."

"Oh, well then, you pompous as-"

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"I may not be able to convince you, but I would at least appreciate the same respect from you all that I have given you. I would appreciate the right to speak. Or are low people like me, the only ones suitable for doing the type of volunteer work that you have deemed disgusting, not to be given an respect? Am I just one of the untouchables of society? Or do I get the chance to speak?" I had just reached the closed door when I heard her voice, rising in barely constrained rage and I couldn't stop myself from wincing. _Off to a good start already, little spitfire,_ I thought as I straightened my shoulders.

I reached for the doorknob and began turning it silently just as a man scoffed, "This isn't about respect Higurashi. This is about you stepping out of your place and learning to face the consequences."

Just as I had opened the door fully Kagome was moving with surprising speed for a human towards the man who had spoken so rudely as she growled furiously, "Oh, well then, you pompous as-"

She didn't get any further than halfway to the line of desks before I cut her off and made her pause mid-step, saying loudly, "I believe what Ms. Higurashi is trying to say Mr. Itou is that you are extremely lacking in your manners and to be quite honest you are being an embarrassment. Speaking about 'her place' and such. I would have thought that someone who was a little over 300 years old would have plenty of time to get over his ego and grow up already. I guess I was mistaken. Pity, I guess you're still nothing more than a pup," I flipped my hair over my shoulder with a flick of my right hand as I sent him a disdainful look that let him know even more clearly that I thought he was disgusting. I smirked mentally when he blanched and I moved into the room, stepping in front of a surprised Kagome.

"I suppose that accounts for the rest of you pups' appalling behavior as well. Never should expect much from a pup I suppose," I added dully, giving them all a taste of the look I had sent Mr. Itou. "And then concerning you humans, well frankly, I'm sad to see that you're following the old stereotypes that fueled we demons' prejudices for centuries. To put it bluntly you're being foolish, arrogant, and appear to be lacking any significant traces of brain power due to your ridiculous behavior." I watched with satisfaction as half of them, the weaker ones, demon and human alike, squirmed uncomfortably in their seats, quickly lowering their eyes. Addressing those who refused to surrender immediately, eyes stubbornly glaring back at me I growled lowly, "I thought, boys and girls, that despite being pups you all would realized that in the current century we are more civilized and believe in giving people, of every class, the chance to speak. Or did you all not get the memo?"

Mr. Iwasaki spoke up, obviously begrudgingly, "We'll listen if it will just get you to quit slinging insults at us."

"Oh, does it hurt Iwasaki," I smirked. "_Oh_, poor baby. Can't take a little verbal spanking I see…"

"Just let the idiotic wench give her little speech, damn it," he hissed, narrowing his little black pig eyes at me, flushing in embarrassment. _Yeah, that's right porky,_ I thought and tried not to laugh. _You should be embarrassed, you prick._

"I'll let her speak, of course, only after _you_ quit addressing _her_ in such insulting terms, however. I suggest you start now before I have to figure out a different method," I held my hand up and looked at my claws with a bored expression before looking back at the audience, "to get you all to behave more like adults. I know it's hard for you all and will be quite a stretch but _do_ try to treat her with some respect and actually think about what she has to say."

I saw several of them gulp and would have grinned if it wouldn't have ruined the effect. "Fine," another man, Mr. Murata hissed. "We agree. Now lets get this unpleasant business over with."

"Gladly," I gave him a mocking bow and then with a flourish gave Kagome the floor. _Oh this is almost too much fun goading these egotistical snobs,_ I smirked wickedly and then nearly burst out laughing when I saw Kagome's face. She looked positively dumbstruck and like a fish out of water – lost. "Ms. Higurashi," I said gently, catching her wide blues eyes that continued to stare at me as if I had grown a third head. "Please explain to the children why your idea is a good idea. They're more than happy to listen now."

"Right," she said, blinking rapidly, eyes clearing and the fire in the blue depths coming back to life, slowly but surely. Squaring her shoulders she began to address the village idiots. "Volunteering is an incredible tool that we can use to shape a child's future possibilities as it teaches them things that they don't learn in their textbooks. Volunteering shows children how to see the world through someone else's eyes, teaches compassion and empathy, and teaches children to appreciate what they have instead of taking things for granted. Volunteering teaches children to be more aware of their surroundings, not just their immediate surroundings, but the world as a surrounding as well. The problems that we've been dealing with this semester haven't been problems confined solely to Japan. They're problems that affect people all over the world. Is it such a bad thing to teach your children, of course in a gentle manner, about the way some people are forced to live – either because of bad choices or the circumstances that changed their lives? No, it's not. I have seen your children grow so much this semester. Their minds have expanded where they don't see themselves as the focus anymore, but instead see the big picture. They have learned better how to relate with others and how to try to solve problems. Is that such a terrible thing?"

She gestured with her hand, inviting them to object, but after glancing at me the few that had started to do just that clamped their mouths shut. "We've been working with the hungry, with the food collection groups, with retirement homes, animal shelters, cancer hospitals. The kids have learned so much and they have never once complained to me. And when I asked you all at conferences if they had complained at home you all admitted that, no, they had not. So why can't you see that this program is giving them a push, putting them a step above most of the other children their age? And isn't that why your children are attending this school, so that they can get a better education than most?"

"And most of all, why do you all look at the action of helping those in need as something dirty and beneath you? Who are you to judge? The only thing that's different about you and the homeless man or woman sleeping under the bridge is your circumstances in life. That's it. Tomorrow you could be bankrupt and on the street; nobody knows what will happen down the road. We only know what we have now, and with every breath in us, if we use what we have now we can do something great with that. There is no "beneath me" when it comes to helping and if you all don't realize that then I pity your children for having such self-absorbed people for parents," she finished, her jaw clenching slightly as she glared at them defiantly. _She looks quite breathtaking even when she's angry,_ I realized as I took in her small, tense form before I turned to face the crowd that was no doubt livid now.

"

"

"

I was exhausted. The week had already done plenty to take it out of me… But this? Well this was enough to take the energy out of me for the next few weeks. The hostile looks they had given me along with their pig-headed stubbornness that was a stellar example of stupidity made me want to pull my hair out in frustration. I felt like I was beating my head against the wall.

I was dazed and confused. Sesshoumaru had somehow _appeared_ and then proceeded to cow the entire group that I would have sworn just seconds before were impossible to cow. On top of that he did with ease, a flick of the wrist and several insults that would have had me howling with laughter if my mind wouldn't have been stuck on one little detail. Like a scratched record I kept wondering how he seemed to always _be there_ when I got into trouble. It was just uncanny.

I was tired and lost, but most of all the prevalent emotion that was coursing through my veins, pushing my heart to pulse wildly and filling my mind was anger. Anger at the parents in front of me who were so self-absorbed that they failed to see the big picture concerning their child… The parents that were so concerned with appearances and their status in society that they truly believed they were above everyone else. Their stance made me furious and unable to restrain myself I had let some of that pent up anger out when I spoke and now I was being hit by a collective hostile glare.

I glared right back.

"You little we-" the man Sesshoumaru had addressed as Mr. Itou began, face contorted in obvious disgust and ire.

With a growl Sesshoumaru took a step forward, eyes cold, and Mr. Itou clamped his mouth shut and glared petulantly. "Good job Mr. Itou. I see you're learning," he smirked. "Now do any of you still not get the big picture? She spelled it out pretty clearly, but since you all _are_ here anyway I have to assume you're all a bit mentally challenged. So, I'd just like to make sure none of it went over your heads."

"This is all just her opinion," a black-haired woman in a severe business suit grumbled. "Because it is an opinion I don't have to agree with it. Besides," she flicked a piece of hair over her shoulder, "My husband and I regularly give money to several different charities so it's not like we ignore the unfortunate people of society. I don't like the idea however of my child spending time in soup kitchens or in hospitals."

"Pulling your cards out of your wallet teaches you child nothing other than that he is a part of a rich family. He isn't forced to have contact with the beneficiaries of the money given as charity and therefore doesn't learn as much about compassion. Besides, it's you and your husband, not your son, pulling the money out of your wallets. The children in this class are not too young or too fragile to learn empathy and compassion," Sesshoumaru stated dryly, sending them all condescending looks. "I would hazard to guess that your children are far better at practicing those important abilities than you are. Donating money is of course very important and as such I don't wish to belittle it but from your attitude I would guess that for you donating the money is a bit of a status symbol. You may think that you actually want to be generous, but then why not give some of your time? Or if you are too busy and that is why you choose to give money, then why not allow your child to contribute when they are so willing and eager to do so?"

"You support this ridiculous idea?" Mr. Iwasaki spluttered. "Why?"

"I believe Ms. Higurashi explained it quite well Mr. Iwasaki, or were you not listening because you were too busy being a stubborn ass?"

I watched Sesshoumaru as he continued to spar with the parents on my behalf and I felt a strange warmth wash over me. _He always saves me,_ I thought numbly, _why is that? And **how** is that?_

"But yes, Mr. Iwasaki, and this goes to the rest of you as well. I fully support Ms. Higurashi program and her thoughts on the matter. I also **strongly** suggest you do as well. You have no solid support for your reasoning, where as she has more than enough. The only thing I see behind your angry protests is a bunch of selfish, juvenile, bloated egos." He crossed his arms over his chest and continued, golden eyes holding them all captive against their will, "In fact I so fully support her program that I will be accompanying her to the soup kitchen and animal shelter on Saturdays whenever I have the opportunity."

"Ms. Higurashi," he turned to me with a warm smile. "Do you have anything else you would like to add before I ask them to give their answers?"

"No," I said, shaking my head as I clasped my hands behind my back, tension running up the length of my spine, pulling the muscles taunt.

"Well then," he murmured turning away from me so I missed the look that he gave them but it must have been impressive as nearly the entire group blanched noticeably. "Those in favor of her being fired raise your hand." A few hands twitched but otherwise no one moved. "Alright and those in favor of the program being dropped raise your hand." Mr. Itou got his hand about 3 centimeters off of the table before Sesshoumaru shot him down with a look and then said in a cheerful voice, "Well, now that we have _that_ settled I expect none of you will have anything to call and complain about from now on. I _also_ expect that you will give Ms. Higurashi your full cooperation from now on."

"Is that all for this meeting then?" he asked turning to face me, his back to the crowd, his expression nothing but gentle and caring. I nodded and he threw carelessly over his shoulder without even bothering to look at them, "You're all free to go." Eyes on me as they danced with mirth he walked to my desk, picked up my briefcase, and handing it to me whispered, "You, Higurashi, attract trouble like a flower attracts bees."

"I suppose it must seem like that," I replied quietly, my breath hitching slightly at his proximity. "But really I swear it's only a recent trend."

"I see," he murmured obviously not convinced. _And why should he be_, I thought, wanting to roll my eyes at the unfair circumstances. "When they are all gone if I could have a private word with you?" he asked, eyes enslaving mine as he pulled back slightly.

"Of course," I said, more than a little curious and puzzled. I looked back at the room to see how many of the parents were left and with a start realized that there were only two couples left. It hit me then that the meeting I had thought would take forever and would inevitably end with me being fired, as I had decided that I would not abandon the program even if it cost me my job, was over. Done. Finished. And I still had my job. On top of that it hadn't taken any time at all and it was all thanks to the gorgeous man standing in front of me.

I wanted to throw my arms around him to show him how grateful I was but I knew better than to do that in front of any of the parents. I also had the sinking suspicion that contact like _that_ with _him_ would end with me on the floor as a puddle of oozing brainless goop. A blissful puddle of oozing brainless goop no doubt, but it would be rather embarrassing after the bliss had worn off I decided.

I also realized that now that the meeting was over I should call Sango to see if she still wanted to get together tonight like we had originally planned. "If you'll excuse me for a second," I said with an apologetic smile, "I need to call Sango for a second."

"Of course," he smiled and leaned against the desk to wait. Leaving the room I pushed the button that would connect me to Sango and putting the phone to my ear waited for her to pick up.

"Hey Kagome, how are you doing?" she asked, voice concerned. "It's only eight," she paused, obviously checking her watch, "Eight twenty? What in the world, that was short. Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine actually, just a little worse for wear and a bit bamboozled but otherwise quite alright. I just can't figure out how Sesshoumaru seems to always find me when I'm in trouble," I muttered into the phone, leaning against the wall of the hallway outside of my room.

"Sesshoumaru's there? You're kidding?! That's crazy," she said, disbelief clear in her voice as it rose slightly. "How in the world _does_ he do that? What is that, the third time now?" she laughed.

"Yes," I grumbled. "It's much appreciated but extremely disconcerting because I don't know _how_ he does it. This is going to drive me insane, I just know it. You know how I get when I can't figure something out."

"Yes," she moaned, "I know all too well. Which is why Miroku and I always try to keep you from getting your dirty little paws on any puzzles or brainteasers. You turn into such a little beast."

"Oh hush, I was calling to ask if you still wanted to get together tonight," I growled, pretending to be offended.

"Oh, Kags, I'm sorry. You canceled earlier so I picked up extra work at the office this afternoon. I can't, I'm really sorry," she replied.

"Oh, ok. No problem, we're still on for tomorrow night though right?" I smiled.

"Yes'um, and I fully expect you to have some of those delicious cookies of yours fresh out of the oven when I get there. I'm in dire need of a good chocolate fix," she laughed.

"Understood," I laughed happily, "Well tomorrow then. See you at 7, bye!"

"Bye," she chirped and then with a click the dial tone was loud in my ear. Closing my phone I turned and walked back into the classroom to find Sesshoumaru right where I had left him.

"Well, I owe you some serious gratitude and about a million "thank you's" Mr. Taisho," I laughed when I reach the desk.

"Hardly," he laughed, "That was vastly entertaining. I've always loved chewing out pups that have gotten too big for their own britches." He shrugged elegantly and wondered how such a commonplace movement could look so graceful yet so powerful all at the same time. _Only Sesshoumaru,_ I thought with a mental shake.

"Yes," I drawled, "And what is this about a 300 year old demon being a pup? What exactly does that make _you_ Sesshoumaru?"

He smirked and stepped closer, "Quite a bit older than that."

"A dinosaur," I teased.

"No, that title belongs to my father," he chuckled.

"I must admit, I find it a bit upsetting that they only listened to me because you were giving them the look of death," I frowned looking up at his beautifully sculpted face. "If you hadn't been here I know I would've gotten fired. I mean, they weren't even going to let me speak," I grumbled.

"Unfortunately with idiotic individuals like them you're not something they feel they have to respect. I just had to point out that they were sadly mistaken in their judgments," he stepped closer until our bodies were nearly touching and I suddenly felt flushed. "It doesn't, by any means, mean that your words or thoughts weren't good enough, merely that _they_ weren't good enough to understand your ideals. They do understand force and sharp words from one of their own however. I'm sorry if I bothered you at all," he frowned apologetically.

"No, no," I breathed, the words rushing out in my desire to assure him, "You couldn't be more wrong. You saved me back there. Again," I chuckled ruefully. "I just feel bad because I must seem so helpless and like such a burden, and I know I can't expect you to always be there when I get into trouble."

"You are only being silly if you allow yourself to think for even a second that I would ever think of you as a burden _or_ helpless," he purred, bringing his face down till our noses were touching and I froze as I lost myself in the mesmerizing heat of the sun.

He moved closer and my heart stopped but the sound of a throat being cleared by the door made him stop dead.

"I was just coming to check on you Ms. Higurashi. I was a bit alarmed to see that it was only 8:20 but all the parents were already leaving and in quite an irritate state at that," Ms. Suzuki growled in her ancient voice. I tensed and was trying to come up with something to say in an attempt to explain the awkward position Sesshoumaru and I were in when she continued, "I see now that I had nothing to worry about… I will see you the week before school starts up in the fall Ms. Higurashi. Congratulations." And with that the door shut with a loud "smack".

"Oh dear," I murmured and looked back at the face that was still so agonizingly close to mine.

"Yes, quite," he purred and I felt dizzy. "Now Kagome, to discuss what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Oh, yes, of course, what can I do for you," I asked trying desperately to fight the fog that had clouded my thoughts.

"Allow me to take you to dinner to express my gratitude for Sunday. You remember, I told you that you'd have to go with me to dinner soon so… How about tonight?" he purred, playfully pushing at my nose with his.

"You don't need to do anythi-" I started.

"Kagome," he said, saying my name as if it was something precious to him. _Am I dead,_ I wondered dully. _Did the meeting actually explode into a bloodbath and I've died and gone to heaven where there is a fake Sesshoumaru who is far too close and far too attractive? Not that I'm complaining… Just if I'm not dead already I will be soon due to a stuttering heart and a pair of lungs that don't do crap._ "Please go with me to dinner. I want to say thank you."

_How could anyone refuse this man, _I huffed as I stared at him for a moment before finally relenting, albeit with a voice that wasn't quite steady, "O-ok, sure." _Breathtakingly eloquent if I must say so,_ I sighed. _He must really take me for an idiot by now considering how my vocabulary shrinks noticeably when he comes around._

"Thank you," he smiled and my heart skipped another beat. _I love it when he smiles like that,_ I thought dreamily before I could stop myself. "Then shall we be going? Let me take your briefcase. I don't know why I handed it to you earlier, actually – sorry," he purred and coming even closer placed his hand over mine before he took the bag back.

"Thank you," I barely managed to get my drooling mouth to gasp. I was so busy trying not faint that I missed the look that crossed his face when our hands touched.

"

"

"

She was the most bewitching, entertaining, tantalizing thing I had ever met, a fact that I was reminded of every time I was around her. And for what seemed like the millionth time that night while I watched her beautiful lips move, her face animated as she spoke and laughed so easily, I wanted to see what it would be like to taste those lips. And for the millionth time I wondered how I could have been such a stubborn, gutless _fool_ that I had _actually_ tried to cut all ties with her.

We had been at dinner for an hour and a half already and I felt like I never wanted to quit speaking to her. Our plates had long ago been cleared and we'd already finished several drinks, mine all being non-alcoholic of course. Her cheeks were rosy, her eyes were sparkling like sapphires in the candlelight and she seemed to glow with life. I burned the image into my memory and then using every ounce of will in me I straightened in my seat and said, "Shall I take you home? I'm sure you're tired after that meeting."

"Oh, I'm fine," she smiled blindingly. "But I'm sure you should be getting home to Rin, she'd probably love to see you before she goes to bed."

"Yes," I chuckled. "I would like to see her before she goes to sleep." Standing up I stood behind her chair to help her get out from the table and then picking up her purse I preceded to the counter.

"Let me pay for the wine," she murmured, coming up behind me, her aura a comforting presence in my mind. "Everything was so expensive and then I had that all to myself."

"Nonsense," I chuckled and ruffled her hair causing her to pull a face, "You aren't putting a single coin on the counter and that's final. I invited _you_ to dinner to show my gratitude. It would be more than ludicrous if I let you pay for anything." I tweaked her nose gently and handed the clerk the necessary amount of cash. I tried not to laugh as I thought, _If you're worked up over this meal, I wonder what your reaction will be when you see what's waiting for you at home. _

She pouted prettily as we left the counter and said in a low grumble as she crossed her arms over her chest, "Fine, but sometime _I'm_ taking _you_ out to dinner."

"I look forward to it," I smiled and she drew her protruding lip back in as she smiled in return.

"Good."

The drive home was just as full of comfortable conversation as our time at the restaurant had been, but I was incredibly eager to reach her house and caught myself speeding on several occasions. Dinner had been wonderful but, figuratively speaking, it was only the frosting on the cake that I planned to give her and as such I was looking forward to seeing her expression when she opened the door and walked inside.

When we were only a few minutes from her house I pushed the button on my cell to send the message I had written for Sango and placed in the 'draft' folder of my mail to warn her that we were almost there.

"

"

"

"So, after they get back to Kagome's place are you up for a movie at my place?" I asked, smirking as I leaned back in my chair, the phone pinned between my shoulder and ear.

"Are you trying to lure me into a tempting situation Miroku?" she asked, voice light and playful.

"And if I was?" I countered.

"Well, I would have to say that it's working," she paused and then added, "What movie?"

"Your choice," I laughed.

"Good choice," she giggled, "Buy me some cheesecake and it's a deal."

"Anything for you my dear," I smiled, "I want to hear the details about everything though when you get here."

"Of course," she replied, amusement lacing her voice. "I'm not going to lie, I'm happy with how long they've been at dinner… I wonder if they've finally kissed or not yet."

"Who knows, maybe they aren't at dinner anymore, maybe they found a nice little quiet place to-" I started but Sango growled.

"Mind out of the gutter Miroku – out of the gutter. Or no kissing for you – strictly movie watching with no getting physical in any way," she warned.

"Oh, but you know you couldn't possibly resist me for long," I teased. "Because after all, the method you are threatening to use would punish _you_ just as much as it would _me._ I'd having you crawling up the wall dying to abandon that threat in a few minutes."

"Oh is that a fact, hun? Getting pretty cocky now aren't we?" she muttered. "Well, when I get over there I promise I'll be sure to knock you down a peg or two."

"I look forward to it," I murmured, wondering exactly what techniques she had in mind.

"As you should," she grumbled, pretending to be cross. "I'll call you when I'm on my way then."

"Alright, see you then. I'll have the cake ready. Bye, hun," I smiled and she responded in kind before cutting the connection. I got up from the chair stretching, an idiotic smile firmly planted on my face. I loved movie nights with Sango – they'd always been wonderful, but _now,_ now they were extra wonderful._ Finally going out with the girl you were in love with had a tendency to do that to you_, I decided. _Changes everything that was once nice or wonderful into something extraordinary and fantastical. _It had been little over a month since we'd started dating and already my over-imaginative thoughts had come up with several images of Sango in white clothes. _Way too fast,_ I sighed. _But I can't help myself or keep myself from dreaming about it. Besides, _I thought somewhat defensively, _I've never been interested in having Sango as a casual partner. Never. _

Stretching I walked to the entryway and grabbing my keys and wallet as I slipped my feet into my shoes, I exited the apartment to go to the nearest delicatessen and pick up several pieces of cheesecake.

"

"

"

Less than ten minutes after I hung up the phone, it vibrated across the coffee table and beeped loudly announcing the arrival of an email. Quickly opening the file I realized it was from Sesshoumaru, announcing that they would be arriving shortly. Excitedly I jumped up from the couch and busied myself, making sure that everything was still set up exactly as we had planned. Lacking a great deal of things to straight up I was done in less than half a minute and left to wait with a clownish grin pulling at my mouth. _They better have kissed already. If they haven't they should win some type of record for being the world's most slow clods._ Blushing I corrected ruefully, _Second of course to Miroku and I…_

Despite my valiant attempt to listen carefully, I barely managed to catch the sound of two pairs of feet making their way up the stairs a couple of minutes later. Glancing quickly at the largest package in the room I nearly held my breath in excited anticipation feeling like somebody hiding out for a surprise birthday party. The giddy feeling, however, was broken by a startled yelp outside the door.

"

"

"

"Oh gods, what happened to my door?!" Kagome yelled in horror as she reached the door before I did. _Oh hell,_ I growled remembering the doorknob and the mat, which she was now currently noticing. "Some _sick_ person **_melted_** my doorknob _and_ managed to murder my mat! I loved this thing – I bought it with my first paycheck!"

"Kagome," I started as I came up behind her.

"Gah! I can't believe this! What kind of crazy person goes around _melting_ people's doorknobs?! Why not just pick the lock?" Her eyes widened in dawning realization as she got over the door and the mat, "Oh my go- my house has been broken into!" she cried and reached for the door, yanking it open before I could say anything.

The door opened to reveal a wide-eyed Sango standing between the couch and the blasting TV, looking lost in a living room full of wrapped boxes covered in beautiful paper and ribbons. "Hee, hee," she coughed nervously and waved timidly, "Hey Kags."

"Sango?" Kagome asked, halting halfway through the door, her hand still on the misshapen metal that had once been a normal doorknob. "What are you doing here? And what is all that _stuff_?! And do _you_ know why my doorknob looks like melted taffy and the dog on my mat has been decapitated?"

Sango looked at me questioningly, eyes wide, and Kagome, following her line of sight, swung around to face me, eyes swirling with confusion. Clearing my throat I looked down at her and said, "Allow me to explain." I gently removed her hand from the 'melted taffy' and walked past her, closing the door and pulling her into the house simultaneously.

"One," I began, "There is no robber. Two, I'm terribly sorry about the doorknob and the welcome mat and will of course be paying for their replacements – whatever you deem suitable. Three, Sango is here because I asked her to do me a favor. Four, this didn't go at all like I'd planned," I finished, feeling a very rare emotion. I was not at all accustomed to feeling lost. However, a small part of me wasn't surprised that Kagome had managed to throw me off balance and make me feel an emotion that I rarely did – yet again. It didn't make it any easier, however, for me to get my bearings.

The original plan had been for Sango and Kagome to schedule a 'girl's night' at Kagome's apartment in the early evening and then I was going to come to her apartment with the main gift. After that we would go to dinner and Sango would watch the present. I had hoped that the execution of this plan would end with Kagome being happy beyond words, and a small, secret part of myself also hoped that maybe Sango was right and I would get a hug… or a kiss… from Kagome. Concerning the plan the meeting had merely been a small bump in the road that had actually been satisfactory in the end. The problem, I realized with a moan, was the _key_. _Damned key,_ I thought glumly. _Threw everything out of wack._ _Of course,_ the logical part of my mind sneered, _Sango was probably right when she hinted that picking the lock would have been better._ Trying not to growl in frustration at the aggravating thought I quickly broke out of my thoughts to look at Kagome.

"  
"  
"

"One," he said, "There is no robber. Two, I'm terribly sorry about the doorknob and the welcome mat and will of course be paying for their replacement – whatever you deem suitable. Three, Sango is here because I asked her to do me a favor. Four, this did not go at all like I had planned," he finished and looked… _Lost,_ I realized suddenly feeling a bit surprised. _Well that makes two of us,_ I decided.

I processed all of the information, turned to look at my door, Sango, the wrapped boxes all over the living room and then the male that stood in front of me looking like a man hopelessly lost at sea. "Does that mean _you_ melted my doorknob and decapitated the dog on my mat?" I asked after staring at him for a long moment.

"Yes," he answered, eyes brimming with regret and apologies. "I'm terribly sorry."

"You _melted _it?" I repeated dumbly.

"Yes," he stepped closer, "I melted your doorknob. I got a bit carried away, I'm sorry."

"And why were you trying to get into my apartment in the first place? To put all of that stuff in here?"

"Yes," he nodded looking like a guilty puppy that had dropped his muddy toy on the white carpet.

_Not a look I ever expected to see on Sesshoumaru's face,_ I laughed, despite the odd situation.

"And you and Sango were in on this together?" I turned to glance at Sango.

"Once again, guilty," he sighed.

I looked back and forth between the two of them, eyes narrowed, before I shook my head and mumbled, "You two are… are… Conniving. I don't know whether to be impressed or disturbed."

"I'd prefer impressed," Sango laughed and I couldn't help but smile.

"This is probably the weirdest surprise anyone has ever pulled on me Sesshoumaru," I turned to him still smiling. "I'm curious though, how _exactly_ did you _melt _it anyway?"

"I'll leave that up to Sango to tell you later," he smiled, eyes still a little worried. "For now, I'd like to give you your presents."

"I can't believe you're giving me presents now. You just took me to dinner at that beautiful, extravagant place – that was _more_ than enough!" I protested, glancing at the presents scattered about the living room, a particularly large box catching my attention.

"I meant it when I told you earlier that I really appreciated everything you've done for Rin and that I wanted to express my gratitude. Other than telling you repeatedly that I'm grateful this is the best way I know how," he shrugged slightly and glanced at the boxes. And just then over the sound of the TV that I had been effectively tuning out since I entered the house I heard a sound that didn't belong in my home.

"What the-"

"

"

"

I watched the show as it unfolded in front of me and one point had to fight a fierce battle with myself to keep from laughing and saying, "I told you so!" to Sesshoumaru. I did feel sorry for the poor man though and then my amusement had been pulled to a skidding stop when Kagome had turned to me as she said, "And you and Sango were inon this together?" I winced after she turned back to Sesshoumaru and made no comment until she mumbled, "You two are… are… Conniving. I don't know whether to be impressed or disturbed."

"I'd prefer impressed," I said laughing suddenly and with relief noted the smile that grew on her face in response. I then watched with amusement as Kagome did exactly what I had expected and had warned Sesshoumaru about: try to refuse the gifts. _She is going to **flip**_I thought giddily and had to use all of my self-control, or lack therein, to keep myself from smiling like an idiot and blurting out the surprise.

I was saved from ruining the surprise, however, when the surprise announced itself quite loudly. Twitching, I turned to look at the largest box that I had wrapped shortly after Sesshoumaru had left to go to the meeting. Looking back quickly at the other two who stood side by side on the other side of the couch, I found Kagome with an entirely perplexed look on her face and Sesshoumaru with a dull look of disbelief in his eyes as his eyebrow twitched sporadically – a look that clearly said, "You _must_ be joking."

_What I wouldn't give for a camera right now,_ I thought as I tried not to laugh.

"

"

"

"What the-" Kagome said after she caught the sound over the noise of the TV that was blaring at a painful level to hide any sounds that the present might make. Apparently it wasn't loud enough.

_This can't be happening,_ I thought, my eyebrow twitching and then after a sigh I surrendered. _Who needs to follow the plan to the letter anyway, life is all about adaptability and spontaneity, right?_

"Did I just here a-" she started and I quickly cut her off.

"Here," I said, taking her small hand in mine and pulling her around the couch and towards the large wrapped object, "Open it." At the sound of my voice the noise repeated itself except this time with more excitement. Eyes wider than I had believed possible she stared at me and then at the box and then with a small sound began to pull gingerly at the paper, as if she felt that if she opened it too roughly the whole thing would disappear.

I turned and picked up the remote from the coffee table and turned off the TV with it's infernal noise as there was no longer any need for it. Sango grinned at me and then I turned back to watch Kagome finish opening the present. The paper came off with a gentle tearing sound and the surprise was revealed.

"

"

"

I pulled at the paper afraid that I was imagining things, that in a moment I would wake up and find myself in the school library where I had fallen asleep preparing for the meeting with the rabid parents. That would mean that none of this had happened, that Sesshoumaru hadn't swept into the classroom in all of his regal glory and saved me _again_, and that I wouldn't have just spent yet _another_ wonderful evening with him. However, it wasn't a dream and the paper tore softly, revealing something extraordinary, and my mind went nearly blank.

There, in my living room sat a black metal kennel. And in that kennel was something that I had wanted for _years_. I couldn't help myself; before I knew what I was doing I'd squealed in excitement and thrown myself at Sesshoumaru, an action that earlier I had deemed 'too dangerous'. Now, however, my mind wasn't functioning and there was no memory of my earlier musings. "I can't believe it," I cried, as I stood on tiptoe, arms wrapped firmly around his neck and my head buried into his chest. And then, at that moment, my mind began moving again and I realized whom _exactly_ I was hugging and very quickly lost the strength in my legs as I brought my arms down from around his neck as fast as I could.

"Believe it," he purred, arms of steel wrapping firmly around my waist and keeping me from crashing to the ground. As I moved to look up at him my mind dully noted that my hands hadn't made it very far from his person like I had intended and were instead now on a place that was far more disconcerting. I attempted to tell my hands to move off his chest, but they refused to budge and then when I looked fully up into his face all my thoughts ceased yet again. His eyes were warm and held that same alien emotion they had held that strange night under the moon and suddenly it was as if he had never pulled away, time had not passed, and we had never moved out from under the glow of the moon. All the heat came rushing back into my veins, making my heart beat at an alarming rate as I stared up at his exquisite face and felt myself burn in the fire. He bent his head down and our noses nearly touched when a demanding sound erupted from the kennel beside us and the spell was shattered, both of us blinking dully as if we'd just woken up from a dream. "I believe," he murmured, voice husky and eyes looking slightly dazed, "that as much I don't want to let you go that someone's eager to meet you."

"Oh," I coughed, trying to get my body to quit quivering, "Yes. Right."

He released me then and I felt the lack of warmth with a painful clarity as I took a step back from him. Turning on still shaking limbs I crouched down to open the door of the kennel and with a delighted yip the fluffy little black and white husky pup came bounding out and flew at me with gusto.

The pup did wonders to soothe my frazzled nerves and soon I was feeling halfway normal again. _Really_, I thought with a sigh, _Sesshoumaru is able to throw me more off balance and make me feel like I'm losing my mind better than anyone I've ever met._ Bouncing the little ball of fluff up and down in my lap I began to grin like an idiot despite my dark thoughts. Crouching down next to me Sesshoumaru smiled and reached out to tickle the pup behind the ears as he said in his gorgeous voice, "I seem to remember a conversation that involved fluff in which you once told me that Siberian huskies were your favorite."

"

"

"

I tiptoed to the door doing my best not to attract anyone's attention as Sesshoumaru wrapped his arms around Kagome's waist and said, "Believe it," in a low voice that spoke of strong attraction. _That's it,_ I thought triumphantly. _There is **no** way those two are not going to kiss. Not with him looking at her like **that**_. As I moved to shut the door I turned to look at the two of them one last time and I saw Sesshoumaru bring his face closer to Kagome's, their noses nearly touching, and grinned, gently closing the door and avoided the now solid mass of melted metal on doorstep.

_Wait until I tell Miroku,_ I thought gleefully as I practically skipped down the stairs and all the way to the train station.

"

"

"

"I can't believe you remembered that," I laughed, staring at him in disbelief.

"And why is that," he asked, eyebrow cocked as he stood and strode over to the sofa where he took a seat as if it was something he did everyday. Then it hit me how very odd it was that a) Sesshoumaru Taisho was in _my_ apartment, b) Sesshoumaru Taisho was sitting on _my_ couch, and c) that he was doing all of this with an air that gave the impression that all of these things were regular occurrences. I also realized that other than my two dear friends, that probably no one would believe me if I tried to tell them about today's events. _I wouldn't blame them,_ I thought with a dry laugh.

And then yet another thing hit me, Sango was _gone_.

"Sesshoumaru," I asked, looking around quickly, "Where's Sango?"

He looked puzzled for second and then looking around he saw too that she was no longer in the room. Sniffing quietly he muttered, "She seems to have left not more than a couple minutes ago."

_Sneaky little scheming friend, _I thought ruefully. _Oh you are good. I'll have to keep an eye on **you**._

"I feel a bit bad," he said, eyes contemplative, "I didn't get to tell her thank you for staying and watching the pup while we were out."

"Oh, don't worry, I'm sure she hasn't even thought about it," I waved a hand at him, "She's probably already on her way to Miroku's house to watch a movie or something." _More like talking about how she left right when we looked like we were going to – not that Sesshoumaru would ever consider kis- no matter how much it looked like he was considering kis- Ungh! I refuse to think about all of these suppositions,_ I growled irritably.

"I hope you're right," he smiled and then repeated his earlier question, "So why is it that you thought I wouldn't remember?"

"Because I never would've guessed that, well… that you would remember our conversations so well. We only talked about it once after all," I shrugged, picking up the pup and coming to sit down on the couch next to him, a pile of wrapped boxes in between us. _Good thing, too,_ I thought, _I'd rather not go and get loopy again tonight._

"You wound me," he said sending me a tragic look over the boxes.

"Just being honest," I laughed, squeezing the dog.

"Well, you may be stating your honest opinion, but I can tell you right now that your opinion is far from correct," he smiled. "I remember that you said you chose this apartment because it allows pets and that you were hoping to save up enough to buy a husky. You then mentioned that you wouldn't mind a cat either and that you had grown up with a lot pets so that you were hooked."

"You, Sesshoumaru," I said blinking at him owlishly, "Never cease to amaze me."

He snorted and with a dismissive wave of his hand said, "I merely wanted to say 'thank you' and try to bring you some amount of happiness for making Rin so happy."

"I appreciate the gesture," I began, "And I really have wanted a husky for the longest time." I paused and in answer to his expression that seemed to ask for details, added, "We always had Shiba-ken because they were my mother's favorite, but I've always dreamed about having a husky." I stroked the pup's head and then said what was nearly impossible to say when I had the thing I had been longing for, for as long as I could remember, in my arms, "I really appreciate this but… I can't accept. I know how much huskies cost since I've been hoping to own one for so long. It's also the reason I haven't been able to buy one yet… She's beautiful and I hate to let her go but…" I looked down at the beautiful dog that rested so happily in my lap and cursed the need to be adult-like. _But I want to keep her,_ the little voice in my brain cried while the other voice shouted at it, _You can't accept a 120,000¥ gift from him, you dolt!_

"I thought you might say that," he sighed and looked at with those cursed gold eyes and continued, "But please, Kagome. I know you want to keep her, so please, do. It was no bother to do this and seeing your face a few minutes ago was more than worth it. Please," he used the full force of his voice and his eyes and before I knew it I bowed under the pressure.

"O-ok," I stuttered, quickly looking away from the powerful man who sat so casually on my couch, and looked down at the pup who still sat in my lap blissfully unaware of how I had tried to send her back. "Well, what should I name her?" I asked, changing the subject. "Rei?" I suggested with a mischievous grin.

"Gratitude?" he chuckled. "I suppose you could since she's a gift of gratitude... How about Yukiko since Huskies come from a cold climate? But then again, she has such a sunny disposition, maybe something like Sakura?"

"Sakura?" I chuckled, "I like the name but it's kind of common."

He laughed, "Good point… Well while you're thinking why don't you open up the other packages?"

"You realize that you have used up a lifetime quota of gift giving tonight – all in one blow," I mumbled, looking at the packages and feeling overwhelmed yet again.

"Hardly," he laughed. "I think from your reaction tonight that I rather like giving you presents. When's your birthday?"

"That information will not be heard coming from my lips, Mister," I shook a finger at him as I picked up the first package and began gently unwrapping it. Inside was a small blue collar decorated with stars and crescent moons along with a matching leash. Feeling a little surprised that Sesshoumaru had actually picked out a leash and collar like that I looked up at him with questioning eyes before I could stop myself.

At the look he laughed, "No Kagome," he murmured, shaking his head, "I didn't pick that out by myself – I had a plain blue set picked out when Rin brought me those and insisted that I should get them instead." He sighed, "The girl loves just about anything if it has a moon and star motif. She said it reminds her of me. Sorry if it's a bit… Odd," he finished with a chuckle and an easy smile.

"No, no," I laughed, "I just have to admit that I was a bit surprised that you would pick out a set like this… It just didn't seem quite like you..."

"Well you were right," he grinned. "Now open the next one."

By the time I had unwrapped and opened all of the packages I had the collar and leash set, a medium sized bag of puppy food, brushes, dog treats, water and food dishes, a dog bed, toilet sheets, and dog toys or various types, shapes, and sizes as well as a book on how to take care of a husky. The man had thought of everything and I was truly speechless.

"

"

"

I watched her as she opened the presents, growing more and more shell-shocked and I couldn't help but smile. She was so adorable when she opened everything that for the first time, with someone that wasn't Rin, I was finding great pleasure just from giving her the presents. I hadn't been joking when I told her that I rather liked giving her things. I didn't feel like stopping either as she certainly failed to inspire that reaction in me, despite all of her protesting.

As she finished unwrapping the last dog toy she looked up at me, eyes wide, and said, "I really don't – I," she stuttered, closing her mouth and licking her lips as she blinked several times before continuing, "I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything Kagome," I chuckled and flicked her on the nose gently. "You got things for Mai when you gave him to Rin. I'm just returning the consideration."

"Yes, I may have gotten a few things for Mai, but I didn't buy Mai at a pet store so it's two completely different things. Plus, I mean," she paused, "I've never gotten this many presents from anybody. In my _life_." She shook her head and shifted the pup into her arms. "I don't know how I can repay you."

"I'm repaying _you_," I smiled, looking into the eyes that I had drowned in earlier. "The past couple years have been tough for Rin and you've meant so much to her these past couple months. This is my thank you, _our_ thank you, not just for Sunday but for everything else that you've done."

She frowned and said, "I haven't done anything special or extra good like you seem to think."

_You modest thing, you really have no idea do you,_ I thought with a bit of disbelief before I spoke, "I'm surprised Kagome that you don't realize how important your actions and your words have been. You were the one that told me, after all, that, 'No person and no action is too small to cause change.' You, Kagome, have changed Rin's world in the course of the past months." _And mine,_ I added silently in my head, still unable to voice those particular thoughts. _You have taken my world and thrown it into turmoil, yet I am more happy in a way that I've not experienced for longer than I can remember. And for that I am more than grateful,_ Ithought looking at her innocent face and wondering if she could hear my thoughts. I didn't know what would be better, that she could or that she couldn't.

"I -," she spluttered, obviously not used to so many presents and compliments all in one evening. "I, um."

"Have you thought of a name yet?" I asked quickly, changing the subject in an attempt to make her more comfortable. _And to get my thoughts clear,_ I grumbled.

"Oh, um, yes," she replied, eyes flooding with relief as she visibly relaxed. "Ran."

"Orchid? Interesting," I paused and tilting my head gave her a calculating look. "I remember how at the party you smelled so strongly of orchids I almost wondering if you had climb-"

"I just smelled them for a second," she muttered, cheeks tinged red.

"Of course," I laughed, ignoring the obvious fib. "It's a good name," I smiled, patting the pup on the head gently.

"I think so," she smiled, standing up with her arms wrapped firmly around the precious bundle. "I'll have to go get tags made tomorrow."

Looking at my watch I blanched when I saw that it was already nearly midnight. "Unfortunately I need to be getting home," I stood so quickly that she twitched slightly in surprise. "Inuyasha's been watching Rin who is no doubt asleep by now, but the sooner I get home the better."

"Of course," she smiled, "I'm so sorry I took up so much of your tim-"

"Nonsense," I cut her off gently, "It was my pleasure to spend the evening with you. I'm glad that I was able to make it to meeting – please let me know if any of them ever give you trouble again."

"Oh, no, thank you so much. You saved my job, literally," she huffed. "It was a witch hunt."

"I noticed," I said dryly to hide how much their treatment of her had angered me and then added with a small smile, "Please let me know the locations and the schedule of the volunteering you do on Saturdays. I was quite serious about what I said in the meeting."

"Oh, of course," she replied, mouth forming a small 'o' of obvious surprise. "That would be wonderful."

"Well Kagome," I smiled, "Thank you for tonight."

"

"

"

He turned to leave after I responded and I felt the strong urge to do something, _anything_ to try to show how grateful I really was. It felt so insignificant just saying the words and I felt like no matter how many times I said them that I would never feel like I had successfully conveyed my feelings. The only thing I could think of, however, that was something I could do on the spot was something that the cautious part of my brain told me I would very quickly regret because it would be crossing the Event Horizon, the point of no return. I followed him to the door, and watched with inner turmoil as he slipped into his shoes and prepared to leave. Holding Ran tightly I opened my mouth to say his name, throwing caution to the wind in a moment of compulsiveness as I decided to cross that Horizon, but before I could even form the first letter I saw him tense as an expletive flowed from his lips in a low hiss of breath.

"

"

"

I was slipping my shoes on and trying to ignore the ridiculous part of me that insisted the light had _lacked_ something, a problem that could be fixed so easily – when I saw it. My air coming out in a hiss I glared at the result of my impulsiveness and cursed, "Damn it." _Damned lock,_ I thought in frustration, _I can't just leave her here without a main lock; what was I **thinking** earlier. I am truly a world-class idiot._

"Kagome," I said, "I would like to apologize." I turned around to look at the beautiful woman who was looking strangely dazed, her lips parted as if she'd been about to say something. "I would like to apologize for being a complete, unforgivable idiot."

"Um, what are you-" she started, scratching behind Ran's ears.

"The lock," I pointed accusingly at the accursed piece of twisted metal.

"Oh. Yes?" she obviously hadn't reached the conclusion I had yet. _Of course not,_ I thought, _this is the woman who gets herself into trouble all the time. Obviously she's not always particularly cautious or she wouldn't get stuck in tricky situations so often. And here you are, being a gentleman, and practically helping her to get herself into another tricky situation. Good job, Sesshoumaru, good job. Brilliant._

"Because I stupidly melted your lock you now only have that flimsy chain lock that looks like it could be ripped from the wall by a two year old," I explained as I pointed at the insubstantial excuse for a lock.

"It's not _that_ bad surely," she laughed, slipping into a pair of sandals as she stepped into the genkan and came to stand beside me, giving it a judicious look. Picking it up and taking it in her hands she gave it a gentle tug and with a triumphant smile gave it another tug as she said cheerfully, "See? No prob-"

With a snap and several 'clunks' as the screws came out from the wall, the device came off in her hand leaving several holes in the plastered surface. Eyes wide she stared at the piece of junk and then at the wall before she turned to me and hissed, "I barely even-"

"Touched it," I finished for her. "Well, I believe that proves my point Higurashi." I crossed my arms over my chest as she continued to stare at the chain in her hands.

"I can't believe I trusted my safety to this piece of junk for this many months," she was grumbling when I made up my mind, and straightening my shoulders, said her name to get her attention.

"Yes?" she looked up attentively from the lock.

"I'm terribly sorry about this, but you need to go pack a bag," I frowned apologetically and she stared at me, eyes dull.

"Pack a ba- what?" she sputtered.

"I can't let you sleep here by yourself in an apartment in Tokyo with no lock. I don't care how small you may feel the chances are that someone might randomly decide to break in tonight. I'm the one that melted your lock, so it's my responsibility and I'd rather not take the chances – however small they may be," I responded.

"So how does the bag fit into this?" she asked, the pieces still not clicking into place apparently.

"I can't not go home and I can't leave you here by yourself so the best solution is for you to stay at the house tonight with Rin and I. There are more than enough rooms and I'll feel better knowing that you're safe. Rin would never forgive me if something happened and I'd never forgive myself," I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "If only I hadn't gotten carried away and melted the lock. It'd just been such a long time since I'd melted something that I couldn't resis-" I stopped as her eyes widened and I realized how what I was admitting must sound like.

Expecting her to say something along the lines of, "freak," I was taken aback when she burst out laughing, startling Ran tremendously. Wheezing she set the pup down on the floor and said, "I _never_ in my life would have guessed that I would _ever_ hear _anyone_ say something like that," she paused as more laughter stole her breath. "That was priceless," she finally managed to choke out.

"You'll need to bring some of the supplies for Ran, of course," I added, quickly changing the subject as I watched the pup while she explored her new home for the first time since Kagome had released her from the kennel.

Growing sober Kagome said, "I don't know if I shou-"

"No 'but's' Kagome," I shook my head. "This is completely my fault and I apologize but I'm afraid that this is the best solution I can come up with. You can't stay here, and my house is big enough and you can bring Ran, where as trying to find a hotel where you could bring her could prove difficult. Of course if you would feel better about that I could look for a hotel room for you and pay the costs," I offered.

"No," she blurted, "I'm not having you pay for one more thing tonight."

"Then it's settled," I said, stepping out of my shoes and going to living room to collect the supplies that Ran would need for a night. "I'll carry the things for Ran out to the car while you get your bag packed."

"Alright," she sighed and walked towards what I assumed was the door that led to her bedroom muttering quietly to herself, "but if word of this get outs to _anyone_ I won't hear the end of it for months. I can't believe I'm _doing_ this. I must be losing my marbkes…"

"

"

"

"You should have _seen_ it," Sango gushed happily and I could practically see little stars glittering her eyes. "It was _so_ romantic. It was like suddenly the two of them weren't there in the room with me anymore, like they had gone somewhere else or to another time… As if maybe they had been in a similar position _before_," she mused, eyes growing thoughtful. "I wonder how many times they've gotten close to kissing before…"

"I wonder if they're _still_ kissing," I said and then staring at her face until she looked at me I purred, "Like we should be doing right now."

"I told you I was going to knock you down a peg or two, remember," she grinned wickedly. "Your ego is in serious need of some work and nothing you do or say can convince me otherwise," she teased as she waggled her eyebrows at me, daring me to challenge her claim.

Gleefully I rose to the challenge and showed her exactly why I thought she should change her mind – which she did after less than a minute.

"

"

"

I knew it was fairly late when the sound of the car and the light of the headlights woke me. Looking at the clock on the DVD player my suspicions were confirmed when I saw the glowing green numbers reading 12:40. "Well, well, well," I smirked. "Maybe Sesshoumaru finally made a ballsy move for once. _About time_," I laughed as I got up off the couch, stretching, slowly easing all of the kinks out of my back muscles, and walked to the door where I waited, leaning against the wall casually.

When it finally opened I already had my mouth open to make a smart comment when a familiar feminine scent hit my nose and I blinked in surprise as, not only Sesshoumaru but Kagome as well, walked through the door, both with their arms full. A small black and white pup swung it head in my direction, staring curiously at me with gorgeous light blue eyes from its perch in Kagome's arms and soon Kagome's eyes followed.

"Oh, Inuyasha," she breathed, looking a bit startled, "Um, good evening."

"Good Evening," I replied, a bit of my suspiciousness creeping into my voice and Sesshoumaru looked at me sharply, giving me a look that promised a long and painful death if I didn't behave.

"Good Evening Inuyasha, how was Rin?" he asked, voice brooking no argument.

"Great," I said, staring at Kagome who was with every second I stared at her growing redder and redder. "She went to bed a few hours ago, but asked that you come see her when you got back."

My brother coughed, demanding that I leave Kagome alone and I almost ignored him. She was just so easily embarrassed, it seemed, that I was very quickly discovering that I liked pushing her buttons. And as an added bonus, if I pushed her buttons it in turn pushed Sesshoumaru's buttons, a life-long hobby of mine. With great effort I ceased staring at Kagome, who I of course noted, looked absolutely gorgeous tonight as well. _Yes,_ I thought with a smirk, _I would've had to call up Guinness to tell them that they needed to make a new category called 'world's biggest idiot' if my brother hadn't made **some** type of move tonight… With a girl like that she, no doubt, has **no** lack of men knocking on her door so you have to make your move fast. Glad my brother seems to have finally gotten **that** through his thick head,_ I laughed.

"So," I asked, tearing my eyes away from the vision to look at my brother who looked almost livid. _So much fun,_ I cackled. "What brings you to Sesshoumaru's humble abode, Kagome?" I smirked, watching as Sesshoumaru's eyebrow twitched and Kagome's face turned several shades redder.

Frowning, my brother growled, "I stupidly broke Kagome's lock tonight when I tried to gain entrance into her house as her friend Sango didn'tt have a key."

"How did you _break_ her lock?" I asked incredulously, terribly disappointed.

He looked extremely miffed and muttered, "I got a bit carried away."

"With a pick?!" I snorted, "I thought you had more control over your strength than that Sesshoumaru. What happened to your so called finesse?"

"I didn't use a pick you dimwit – if I had then there wouldn't be a problem," he growled, running a hand through his hair as Kagome's face started to show signs of mirth even though it was obvious she was trying to hide it.

"If you didn't use a pick than what _did_ you do? Pull the damn thing out of the door for crying out loud?" I asked, discreetly watching Kagome's face.

"No," he growled, "Can we not talk about this?"

And then it clicked. "You _didn't_!" I hissed, eyes narrowed suspiciously. At his glower I continued, knowing that I had hit the bull's eye, "You _melted_ the damn lock on her door? Sesshoumaru, when are you ever going to get over being so acid happy?"

"I am not 'acid happy'," he growled, eyes narrowing dangerously.

"Who is the one that turned the malfunctioning fax machine into a bubbling mass of-" I started with a mischievous glint in my eyes.

"Not another word Inuyasha," he barked.

"And who is the one that melted the product Naraku sent to our office as a gift?" I continued goading him, watching in delight as Kagome's eyes got wider and wider and the mirth contained in those blue depths multiplied. Sesshoumaru on the other hand was not finding it amusing.

"That hardly counts," he grumbled, "You know you wanted to do it too. Now if you will excuse me, I'm going to show Kagome to her room." With a final glare of annoyance he turned on his heel and began walking down the hallway, long white hair swaying as he went, shoulders stiff. As Kagome passed I caught her amused eyes and winked causing her to cover her mouth, a quiet laugh escaping her lips.

"

"

"

After I had shown Kagome where she was sleeping I went to see Rin who was sleeping soundly until the light from the hallway lit on her face. With a small groan she sat up, blinking slowly and muttered as I reached her bed and sat down, "So Dad, did you finally tell her that you like her?"

"Rin," I grumbled, "We've had this discussion before."

"Well did you?"

"No, because that's not what's going on," I replied giving her a look that said I was serious.

"Dad, I'm not an idiot," she grumbled, looking up at me with eyes that said she knew everything. _Which is just ridiculous,_ I thought grumpily, _I am **not** that obvious. I know it._

"Yes you are," she said with a laugh, as if I had spoken my thoughts out loud. "Honestly Dad, who goes out and buys expensive gifts just to thank their child's teacher for being nice?"

"How many times do I have to explain it to you Rin," I growled, ruffling her hair affectionately. "I _really_ appreciate everything she has done for you this semester. I was just thanking her."

"With a dog that cost about 120,000¥?" she asked, eyebrow cocked and eyes dripping with doubt in a look that seemed oddly familiar. _Oh right, she **is** my daughter,_ I thought. "Dad, I know we're rich, but we aren't frivolous with our money either. You **_like_** her; can't you just admit already? And if _somehow_ your actions _weren't_ obvious – which they are – the way you look at her and your scent when you're around her is enough for anyone like Uncle or I to be able to tell immediately. The phrase 'crystal clear' comes to mind," she smirked.

"Rin, you're just being silly," I growled knowing full well that she was right. I did like the woman, very much, but I just couldn't admit it yet. It had been a big step for me to open up my heart, but I wasn't quite ready yet to take the next step required in the whole process: admitting my feelings.

"You're talking about yourself now, Dad," she laughed. "But at least tell me you're admitting it to yourself. If you are then I'll be happy with that."

"Rin, go to sleep," I kissed her on the forehead.

"I'll let you retreat for now, but you and I," she muttered, sending me a determined glare, "We're duking it out later, got that?"

"Understood, stubborn daughter of mine," I sighed, standing up and walking to the door.

"We both know where I got _that_ from," she chortled. "Oh, Dad," she said as I began to shut the door, "One more question."

"Yes Rin," I smiled tiredly. _What will the overly intelligent, curious offspring of mine ask now,_ I wondered as I stared at her sitting up in her bed in the dark that was as bright as day to our eyes.

"Why is Teacher sleeping in the room down the hall?"

_Shit._

"

"

End Chapter

終わり〜！第六課出来た（＾ー＾）v

Hey everyone, um, I wrote this chapter as a kind of 'thank you' to all the people who sent me such sweet notes about my mom – it really, really meant a lot to me so thank you soooo much! In addition…um, I noticed that a lot of the people who regularly review didn't on the last chapter so I'm thinking that maybe I disappointed some people – if I did I'm really, really sorry (; '-' ;) I hope this chapter is ok, but feeling a bit nervous after the last chapter…

But thank you so much to the people that did review - I'm glad that it wasn't a total flop ( '-' )v ! And to all the new people that reviewed - thank you! And thank you to everyone that's reviewed in the past. It helps so much to get your feedback – I'm just so sorry if the last chapter sucked – but hopefully this one doesn't suck as well (O-O) gah! Anyway, thanks so much for everything you guys! I'll try to update as soon as I can but the next couple of weeks are going to be crazy – another reason I tried to get this one out so soon. Didn't want you to have to wait at where I left chapter 5. R&R if you feel like it merits it - good or bad \( '-' )/ Thanks, Yours Truly,

Bloodrain's tears

みなさん、どうもありがとうございました〜！今からも、よろしくね〜！頑張ります！

ノト**Notes**：

**genkan**: entrance of the house where you leave your shoes

**120,000¥** is equivalent to 1000 U.S. dollars according to the current rate – I had to edit this, sorry – I was off – by quite a lot, whoops – embarrassing.

**¥** : is one way to represent the 'yen' sign which is more commonly represented by this symbol: 円

If you are wondering about the incredibly high price of the dog – you better believe it, lol. My boyfriend and his family paid over $900 for their Chihuahua and that was almost 10 years ago… I went a pet store a few months ago and anywhere from $900 to $1000 is the average price here in Japan – not just for dogs, but sometimes for the cats that they carry as well– purebred of course. Haha. I got my purebred husky for $150 so it's kind of hard for me to get my head around.

**Sorry for forgetting to put up the first time I loaded this – hope it wasn't too confusing and sorry for getting the figures messed up – I'm terrible at math and should have put the numbers through my computer's translator in the first place ( '-' ) My apologies!**


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: If you want to see it please push the little "back" arrow until you reach Chapter 1 – thanks! \( '-' )/

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Chapter 7: Conversing With a Cobra

I woke up in bed the next morning when something cold and wet snuffled against my cheek. Muttering nonsense I rolled away from the disturbance only to roll off the edge in a tangle of sheets and landed, with a loud expletive, on the floor…with a strangely soft carpet. Before I could situate myself comfortably on said strange carpet to get back to my pleasant dreams of cooking and eating chocolate fudge cookies a giggle broke the silence, and then something else let out a loud 'yip' as it landed on my ribs with a 'thunk'. Eyes flying open at the unexpected contact I swung my head to the side to see what was attacking me and found myself staring into blue eyes the color of artic ice. Blinking as those eyes and that lolling pink tongue registered with my sleep fuzzed mind I was hit by a mental barrage as all the memories of last night came crashing back…Along with the realization that it was not _my _bedroom floor's carpet that I had fallen onto. _Ah,_ I thought as I stared at Ran who looked very peppy for it being so early in the morning, _that explains the odd carpet. _

A voice, the person who had previously giggled, suddenly spoke up with obvious mirth, "Teacher, I take it you aren't a morning person."

"No," I scoffed, turning to allow Ran to crawl onto my stomach, "I just need coffee in the mornings. Coffee and then I'm right as rain."

"Right then, I'll go get you some," she laughed, a broad smile making her face glow as she turned on her heel and was out the door without even a whisper from her pajamas. With a playful growl Ran leapt from my stomach and was on her heels in a blur of black and white. Relieved to be alone so I could _sleep_, at least until the coffee was done, I began to close my eyes when my hopes were dashed as the absence was quickly replaced by a man who was inordinately skilled at making my head spin.

He stood there in the doorway in all of his transcendent glory, perfectly groomed as always, every hair in the most advantageous place maintaining the look of impossible perfection, sporting a stylish black business suit and I knew that he hadn't even _tried_ to look that good. It was as natural as breathing to the man. Opening his magnificent lips he spoke in a rich voice saying, "Good morning Kagome, glad to see you're up." Pausing he cocked an eyebrow as he pinned me on the floor with his deep gold eyes and said, "Or should I say 'down'?"

Several trains of thought went barreling through my mind at an alarming rate beginning the moment he walked through the door and spoke. _My go- does he always look so perfect? Honestly, the nerve of the man. I think he'd probably **still** look good, even to the point of remaining drool inspiring, after being hit with a battalion armed with rotting vegetables._ This train of thought was quickly followed by the second. _Shite, my hair. I must look like Medusa. Shite. Quick, turn away before you're turned to stone by the horrific, gruesome ugliness!_ The third train flew by then as I realized, _If past lives are real then I most definitely did something heinous and evil to do deserve this, because this is far, far, **far** too cruel for even the most mischievous of the fates to pull without good reason. Maybe if I just curl up in a ball on this wonderful carpet, shut my eyes, and wish hard enough, I can make him disappear._ The fourth, and final train of thought rattled noisily down the track as my thoughts turned traitorous, _Of course, he's not such a bad thing to see in the morning… Maybe if I saw him everyday I'd like waking up bette- Oh bloody hell!_

The clean up crew came to dispose of the wreckage that my last thought had become and I quickly threw the mess into the incinerator, along with all other risqué thoughts concerning a particular dog demon. A particular dog demon that was now watching me with a perplexed look on his face. That was when I realized with a start that I had yet to respond to his comment. _Great start to a morning, Kagome,_ I thought grumpily as I opened my mouth. "I suppose you could say 'down'," I muttered. "But from that statement I would hazard a guess that you must be a morning person, because only a morning person would be cruel enough to try and be witty with another human being at an early hour."

He smirked and entered farther into the room, reaching my feet to stare down at me like a bug under the microscope. Needless to say I was painfully aware, once more, of how ridiculous I must look, hair more messy than a rat's nest and tangled in the sheets like a bad attempt at a Halloween costume. "But Kagome," he purred, lips twitching in suppressed amusement, "It's only 6 a.m."

"Excuse, I'm afraid my ears aren't that good. Could you repeat that again, please," I asked, eyes wide as I stared up at him.

"Six in the morning," he repeated, his lips growing into a lopsided grin as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Ok," I said a little breathlessly, "So about my comment earlier. I have a few corrections to make."

"Oh really," he chuckled.

"Oh really," I mumbled. "One, I don't have to hazard a guess anymore. You are a morning person. And no offense, but a curse on you for being one. You morning people just like to make we unfortunate members of society miserable with your terrible activity and noise after you get up. Two, did I say 'early hour'? Because I _meant_ to say 'ungodly hour'. Why in the Seven Hells are you up at 6 in the blinking morning?" I finished grumpily, glaring up at him with my typical morning mood.

Instead of being intimidated to the point of leaving me alone so I could back to _sleep _he merely laughed out right, his grin turning to a brilliant smile. _Good thing I'm already on the floor,_ I thought numbly as I stared up at him momentarily stunned, _otherwise I'd be falling toward it right now._ "Guilty as charged," he laughed, fireflies dancing in his gold eyes. "But for your information the only reason we morning people _make_ so much noise and _are_ so active, as you say, is because of the reactions we get out of you morning zombies. It's an irresistible temptation and incredibly entertaining."

At this ludicrous comment I rekindled the fire in my glare and let out an unladylike scoff. He merely raised a perfect white eyebrow and smirked. I wanted to throw something at his face, just to get the infuriating expression off of it. _Yes,_ I thought as the image of him with tomato juice and such splattered all over his face flashed through my mind, _I am not a pleasant person in the mornings._

We were interrupted, fortunately, from continuing our conversation however when Rin walked through the door with a coffee mug. _Oh bless the child._

"Ah," Sesshoumaru grinned wolfishly, "Zombie Tonic."

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A week later I walked into my favorite Starbucks and ordered my usual White Chocolate Mocha Vanilla Bean Blended Crème, a delicious concoction strong enough to kill those without the stoutest of sweet tooths, and then proceeded to the table farthest in the back, the only one not full. Setting down my purse I pulled out my newest issue of Tokyo Beat Magazine and turned to browse the table of contents while I waited for my sugar high frappaccino.

"White Chocolate Mocha Vani-" the clerk began to shout before, with a sigh, he decided to change tactics, "Kagome, your frappaccino is done!"

"Thanks Hiro," I laughed, taking it out of his hands.

"Honestly, why you had to come up with a custom mix that's such a mouthful I'll never know," he shook his head smiling. "Besides the fact that it has enough sugar in it to eat a whole in your stomach."

"I didn't hear that," I grimaced, and waved as I returned to my table and the magazine. Sitting facing the front of the café I slowly sipped my drink as I read Miroku's story first, waiting for Sango to arrive. I had only been waiting for a few minutes when I felt a presence standing on the other side of the table hesitate for the barest of moments before it slid into the empty seat. Feeling disoriented because my brain immediately recognized this person as "Not Sango" I looked up from my magazine with a start and found myself caught in a pair of eyes like a putrid tar pit. _There's a cobra sitting at my table,_ I thought in numb horror as I barely repressed a yelp of surprise.

"Ms. Higurashi," he purred, the word rolling off his tongue as if by saying my name he had somehow claimed possession over my very essence. I wanted to somehow take the words back, make them unspoken so that my name wouldn't feel so dirty, so polluted by having come off of those lips. "What a pleasant surprise to see you here."

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I had been none too pleased when two weeks ago, after over a months absence, the damned dog had gotten his paws back on my fascination, the girl that I had been carefully watching since I had gotten the files on my desk. Since the 11th of June I had at every available moment, followed her, studying her, and learning about her habits and her favorite haunts as well as the places she went to sporadically. A week ago I had finally deemed it safe and was planning to make my move the next day when I found the two entering her apartment at a late hour. Angrily I had realized that something had brought the obnoxious man back to her and so for a week I had been in a foul mood, contemplating what to do next. However, after a week of bad temper and several run-ins with my two secretaries where I left them panting on the floor with bruised necks I decided that I'd had enough of waiting. I no longer needed to pussyfoot around Sesshoumaru. I wasn't afraid of the man and so I'd decided that at the next opportune moment I would start to move. That moment had landed in my lap this morning when I saw her enter the Starbucks that she regularly went to. With only a calculated hesitation in order to avoid suspicion I entered the coffee shop and headed directly for her table where she sat, lost in the glossy pages of a magazine.

I sat down with a moment's thought and addressed her, using all the will power I possessed to keep the predatory grin off my face that begged for release. _Why didn't I do this sooner,_ I thought as she glanced up from her magazine, blue eyes wide, giving her a frail, doe like appearance and the wolf in me growled appreciatively. _She's more than worth any trouble this might cause with that idiotic dog demon. _"Ms. Higurashi," I addressed her, my blood already beginning to heat with a deep hunger as I took in her innocent, angelic face and brilliant eyes that bared her pure soul; a soul that screamed out to the twisted beast in me, begging to be tainted. "What a pleasant surprise to see you here."

She stared wide eyed for a few moments before confusion filled the blue sea of her eyes and she shook her head, speaking in a voice that I noticed was none to steady, "Wait, how do you know my name?"

"You attracted everyone's attention at the party Ms. Higurashi," I paused, "Or can I say Kagome?" I smiled my most charming smile in an attempt to smooth the surprise induced ruffling of her feathers. She didn't trust me; that much was obvious. Now was the key stage where I needed to at least get her to dismiss me as a non-threat, if not feel almost comfortable around me. "I'm surprised you didn't notice."

"I didn't notice," she breathed, hands gripping her magazine tightly.

"Well, you were the topic on everyone's lips that night," I purred. "'The breathtakingly beautiful woman' or 'The angel that had captured the untouchable attention of Sesshoumaru Taisho' and variations thereof were common phrases used to discuss you. Needless to say, coming in and causing such a commotion, everyone made it their business to unearth your name."

"Do you usually make a habit of sitting down at stranger's tables?" she queried, eyes hardening in unease as she began to go on the attack.

"No," I chuckled and watched with delight as the fight in her eyes was partially snuffed out. There weren't many who could stand up to me for very long. "I only make a habit of it when the stranger happens to be a particularly stunning Aphrodite who's captured my attention."

"Well then," she swallowed uncomfortably, a blush staining her pale cheeks, "I'm afraid you meant to sit down at the table behind you and to your right because I don't know of any Aphrodite sitting here at this table." She picked her magazine up, pointedly placing it in front of her face as a clear sign of dismissal. She did it all with a calm air but I didn't miss how her accelerated pulse had yet to slow or that the smell of her nervous was still nearly palpable. _I wonder if she realized that she's only making me all the more determined by actually managing to be stubborn and pretending to be unafraid if she would stop resisting me so much…_

Not even deigning to glance at the table occupant in question I merely stared at her, as if I could see her through the Tokyo Beat Magazine that she held in front of her face like a flimsy shield, knowing full well that she could feel it if I kept it up long enough. Sure enough, after only a few moments she lowered the magazine just enough to peer uneasily at me over the top. Holding her eyes with mine I said, "I meant to sit down here." I paused, giving her a meaningful look before I continued, "It's all in the eye of the beholder Kagome and I'm quite serious when I say that you are, in truth, an Aphrodite among women."

"Well then," she quipped, eyes dancing with the mixed fires of fear and stubborn resistance, "I would say that your eyes are seriously skewed and you're in desperate need of an eye appointment because the only thing at this table is a normal sparrow," she finished with a look that said, "Who would like to be left alone." It was of course ignored, however, as it did not intimidate me in the slightest but actually served to incite me further.

Her doggedness making my blood grow hotter I wished that she wasn't hiding behind the table and the magazine so I could better see her body which I knew to be tantalizing. Wanting to run my eyes up and down her figure I smirked and said, "How ironic, as the sparrow is one of the creatures attributed to Aphrodite… That however is besides the point Kagome, like it or not, my eyes are far from 'skewed' as you so kindly put it, but instead the problem is that you are too modest. You, with your beauty, drew me here like a moth to a flame."

She blinked and then slapped the magazine down on the table, a flabbergasted expression on her face as she spluttered, "What are you? Some kind of professor on Greek mythology in your spare time or something? Or did you just pull that one out of thin air? And 'my beauty' calling you over here? My looks don't exactly scream 'come hither' Mr… Mr..."

"Naraku Hayashi," I supplied, lips turning up in a slight smirk once one.

"Mr. Hayashi – and I know that so I suggest you stop trying to flatter me like you are. It's beyond lame and corny," she finished with a huff before she reached to pick up her magazine again.

I caught her hand before she could even lift it off the table however, placing mine over top of hers and in response her blue eyes looked back up at me with shock and a tinge of fear; inside I was leering. On the outside however, I tried to put on one of my winning smiles once more before I said, "I can see you aren't used to receiving compliments Kagome. I can't imagine why someone like you wouldn't be, but I'll do my best to remedy that."

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For the second time, the man that I'd hoped I'd never see again, was holding my hand captive and yet again my stomach was rebelling – violently. _If I don't get my hand out from underneath his filthy, putrid **appendage **in a few seconds I'm going to throw up what little bit of the frappuccino that I've drank,_ I thought as I desperately tried to keep up the bravado that was constantly on the verge of disappearing completely. Despite this being the second time I had met the Creature from the Black Lagoon I was barely even fractionally braver. He was like a black hole, sucking up any of the normal attitudes that I could call up when an unwanted male was _lavishing_ me with his attentions. And now, here he was with his hand over mine, black snake eyes holding me so hard that I felt he was trying to delve into my soul and simultaneously skillfully sucking up all the scraps and shreds of courage that I had managed to create in an attempt to repel him.

"I can see you aren't used to receiving compliments Kagome," he purred, smiling a smile that would have made most women melt but only served to make the hair on the nape of my neck stand on end. "I can't imagine why someone like you wouldn't be, but I'll do my best to remedy that," he finished and I wanted to cry, begging him to release my hand. With every moment he continued his physical contact, eyes boring into me like a wolf looks at the sheep it's about to eat, I felt like he was tying me up with invisible bonds, connecting him to me and turning me into an unwilling captive.

I tried, hard, to pull my hand back, but against his strength my arm wasn't even able to twitch. Eyes widening as I realized how strong this man was and how weak I was compared to him, I said in a voice that betrayed my apprehension by quaking noticeably, "I would prefer that you don't try to remedy it."

He merely chuckled in response and pulled my arm, pliable and weak as a wet noodle, towards him and brought my hand to those poisonous lips of his with a wicked smile, a disturbing light dancing in his eyes, saying, "No need to play coy Kagome, I know what you really want… Need." With those disturbing words he placed a slow, deliberate kiss on my hand, eyes never once leaving mine, and in those ebony depths I saw a hunger that left me cold. Knowing I had no power to pull away he knew I was at his mercy. Pulling my hand closer he took his mouth to my wrist, trailing toxic kisses as he moved, and then with a smirk flashed his pointed canines and opened his mouth. I was pulling as hard as I could, feeling myself nearly retch at the touch, the whole sensation of being so close to a man that in every way screamed 'wrong' more than anyone I'd ever met making me sick, but I was completely helpless as he opened his mouth and brought those venomous fangs towards my captured wrist.

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I got to the coffee shop and couldn't find Kagome at first. I finally spotted her in the very back and I quickly realized why I hadn't spotted her sooner – there was a man sitting at the table with her. To be more precise, a man dressed in an expensive looking business suit with long, wavy black hair and a disturbing aura that I could feel from the front of the coffee shop. There was only one man I knew with hair like that and an aura that sinister and taking one look at Kagome's face which seemed to be caught between the expression of terror and utter disgust I got the feeling that it was the same man. Taking as big of strides as I could manage I charged to the back of the restaurant doing my best to avoid hitting anyone in the crowded space. When I neared the table I saw why Kagome looked like she was about ready to puke. He was holding her arm easily with one hand as he ran his lips from the back of her hand to her wrist. By the time I had reached the point directly behind his right shoulder he had opened his mouth and had almost taken her wrist in between his fangs. Deciding I needed to move _now_ despite how terrifying and repulsive the man was I said in a loud as I poked him roughly on the shoulder, "Excuse me, but what do you think you're doing Mr. Hayashi? Judging from the expression on her face she didn't ask you to eat her hand off so I can only guess that you're back to harassing women again."

With a barely discernable flinch he turned around and with hair-raising eyes like black ink sent me a look filled with more animosity than I had ever been the recipient of in my entire life. _I'm going to pass out,_ I recoiled visibly and took a small step back, using every ounce of strength in me to stay standing while he glowered at me with eyes that were the very definition of hate and anger. _Of course,_ I thought numbly, _I've just interrupted the wolf during his dinner of lamb…Hehe, he's going to kill me._ Feeling more than terrified I continued on however, the relief in poor Kagome's eyes carrying me forward. "You're in my seat Naraku. Snack time is over, time to move on," I muttered, trying desperately to keep my voice from shaking nervously.

"I didn't see you here when I got here and I take offense at your comments of harassment. We both know full well that all of those accusations have been proven to be nothing more than the baseless, conniving planning of disgusting women who desired my wealth. Nothing more," he finished in a voice that held a tone daring me to be fool enough to argue with him.

"I don't know that at all Naraku," I grumbled, crossing my arms over my chest to give myself a moment to calm down. "But if you really want to make me think so, then I would suggest that you be a good boy, let go of her hand, and politely excuse yourself from the table. Or would you like me to spread this little incident around my office?"

"Of course, my apologies," he murmured, eyes along with the set of his mouth letting me know all too clearly that he didn't mean the words for a second. Smoothly, like a snake uncoiling it's scaly length, he stood from the chair and with one last meaningful look at Kagome left the coffee shop, long legs carrying him rapidly out the door.

Before the bell on the door had even finished ringing I was sitting down, grasping Kagome's hand in mine, noticing very quickly that it was quivering slightly. "Are you ok, hun?" I asked, concerned and worried.

"I think I'm going to be sick," she breathed, eyes dull.

"I don't blame you," I mumbled. "I almost fainted I was so scared and he wasn't even _touching_ me," I finished with a shudder as I closed my eyes and tried to block out the graphic mental images that thought conjured. It didn't matter if he was only holding someone's hand, if it was Naraku then it needed to be rated X as far as I was concerned.

"He kissed my hand – **_again_**," she shivered violently and I squeezed her hand, trying to give her some amount of reassurance but I didn't have much left in me after butting heads with the walking, talking epitome of nasty. "And he didn't just do it once either," she moaned, face pale as she remembered, "he kissed me all the way up to my wrist and then…and then…then he opened his mouth and oh gah! Who knows what the hell he was planning to do with those nasty canines of his?!" she finished, the volume of her voice growing slightly.

"Well thank God I got here when I did," I sighed, giving her a sympathetic look, "I'm just relieved that I was able to _get_ him to leave. He normally doesn't listen to other people's wishes. Goes along with being a jerk, I guess."

"Yeah, I tried. A lot. Nothing worked," she huffed, an angry spark flashing briefly in her eyes. "And then he kept trying to flatter me with the most ridiculous comments. The guy's a real nut, Sango."

"I'm glad to see that you at least know to be careful of him," I smiled humorously as I crossed my arms over my chest. "He's not to be trusted. The best thing to do though is to stay out of his sights, he's too powerful and can get away with a lot of things that normal people couldn't."

"I was hoping I would never, ever see him again," she muttered, finally having calmed down enough to begin sipping on her drink again. "In fact I'd managed to basically put him out of my mind and then – BAM! – he was just _there_, in your seat. He was so creepy… Creepy with an odd obsession with Greek Mythology," she added with a confused frown.

"Huh?" I asked, picking up her drink and stealing a sip. _Ah, the usual, thought so,_ I laughed as the liquid hit my taste buds and knocked them out with the ridiculous amount of sugar.

"Kept calling me 'Aphrodite'," she grumbled, rolling her eyes and taking back her drink as I handed it to her.

"Oh," I frowned, "That's the Goddess of Beauty and what not, right?"

"Yeah, I got that," she shook her head. "But then when I tried to say that I was just a sparrow he said, and I quote, 'How ironic, as the sparrow is one of the creatures attributed to Aphrodite,' I mean how weird is that?" she finished with a snort.

I couldn't help it, I laughed. Loud and proud. "What the- Did he just pull that out of his butt or what?!" I chortled, shaking with my laughter.

Smiling she shook her head and said, "I was wondering the same thing, I even accused him of it but… For some reason I have a feeling that he just has some creepy obsession with Greek mythos. It goes along with his freakish character." With a laugh she changed the subject and asked with a smirk, "Are you gonna go order a drink and quit filching, or what?"

"Oh come on," I pouted jokingly, "I just saved your life from the snake. He was getting ready to _bite_ after all."

"Ungh," she groaned, eyes rolling up in her head in disgust. "Don't remind me... Fine, my little mongoose, I'll buy you a drink if that's what it takes to get you to leave mine alone," she finished with a dramatic sigh of the damned.

"Hmm," I murmured and then with a wink said, "Fair enough."

"Good," she laughed, a mischievous glint her in eyes as she asked in a sweet tone, "What do you want to drink Rikki-Tikki-Tavi?"

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My brother had never ceased teasing me about Higurashi after he caught me bringing her home, even though, according to him the reasons that caused me to bring her home for the night were "more than disappointing." Apparently he had lost faith in me as a hot-blooded male. I hardly cared. If I had to be completely honest with myself however, I'd be forced to admit that a part of me had been disappointed that there'd been no… Well, no kissing. Yes, there'd been plentiful helpings of 'being painfully close to her,' and even several 'tantalizingly close to kissing' moments, but in the end, tragically there had been **no** kiss. Not one. I sighed, leaning back in my leather chair behind my desk, yet _again_, realizing that my traitorous mind had drifted back to _those_ thoughts for what felt like the millionth time. It had been more than 3 and a half weeks since I'd given her Ran and although her reactions and her happiness had made me more than happy, being an attracted male, a part of me couldn't help but feel…cheated.

I'd met her a few times since then, of course. The next day I'd gone to replace her doorknob and after I'd finished and was about to leave she and Sango had invited me in for a few cookies. Not only was she smart, funny, and beautiful, but that day I learned that she could also cook cookies that were nothing short of mouth-watering. I don't even normally like cookies. After that day however, our meetings had been sporadic at best, as our schedules often were full, despite her being on summer holiday. I had meetings and business trips frequently while she was continuously traveling to see friends and family. The few times I'd managed to see her, however, were when I managed to make it on Saturdays to the places she volunteered at. Rin often accompanied me however, and as she was far too intelligent and attentive for her own good, I often had to resist the urge to flirt with Kagome and consequently never had the chance to invite her to go with me to more…_private_ settings. Much to my chagrin of course. Then again, I'm not sure how conducive flirting in a soup kitchen would be or how well it would work out… As enjoyable and rewarding as it was to work there, especially with Kagome, it wasn't on my list of top ten good places to flirt.

Needless to say, the rare meetings and the lack of opportunities to flirt had left me wrestling with a craving that had been growing continuously, sprouting from a seed of fascination deep in my subconscious planted months ago when I met the enigma named Kagome… And after that night nearly a month ago though, where I had been so close _so_ many times, the craving that I had been able to keep relatively confined to the subliminal parts of my mind had broken through the layer between my subconscious and my conscious thoughts and had left me unable to ignore them any longer. Hence, more than 3 and a half weeks later, I was still reeling from that Thursday night. Wondering if I would ever get over it I nearly missed Inuyasha speaking.

"What," I muttered, running a hand over my face as I tried to focus on something other than my musings.

"Regretting that you're a sorry excuse for a male, again," he smirked from behind his desk, leaning back in his chair with his hands clasped behind his head. _The picture of nonchalant and cocky,_ I thought as I rolled my eyes at him in annoyance.

"No, far from it, idiot," I sighed.

"Oh name calling," he laughed. "You know that comes from feeling insecure, right? Feeling uncomfortable with yourself Sesshoumaru – now that you realize how much of an idiot _you_ are for not just taking her and kis-"

"Oh, would you drop this already," I glowered at him. "Go find another tree to go bark up already."

"You're just sore that you haven't gotten to taste those delectable looking lips yet," he goaded.

"Inuyasha," I purred, voice cold.

"Yes Sesshoumaru," he asked sweetly.

"Don't make me come over there."

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I was sitting at my desk during work, staring out the window and thinking about life in general. Actually, to be honest, I was thinking about the man that my life now seemed to nearly revolve around. It'd only been two months and nine days since Miroku and I had shared our first kissed, but my feelings towards him had already turned more serious than I should've let them. _That much is obvious,_ I snorted sardonically, _I know to the **day** how long it's been since we kissed. How crazy is that?! Some might even call it **sad**_.

To be fair, we'd been friends for years and I'd started to _like_ him shortly after that time. Despite all of his flirting with girls I'd failed at my attempts of getting over him and over time my feelings for him had only grown – although I still have no idea why. Looking back on it, I think at one point I would've succeeded at getting over him, but he'd suddenly quit flirting inappropriately with the women who fit his criteria: in other words, anything female capable of movement. It had been such a relief when he stopped, but at the same time it made me lose my internal battle and the feelings had sprung vivaciously back to life, much to my vexation. There'd been one irrational, emotional downside when he'd stopped his flirtations: he had stopped flirting with everyone, including me. So for over a year, most of our senior year of college and the time after we'd gotten our jobs, I'd been left with feelings that I couldn't extinguish for a man who I thought saw me as 'one of the buddies'. It'd been heartbreaking and enough to make me feel like physically strangling him at times.

But _now_. Now, things were different. We were together and nothing had ever felt more right. At least that's how I felt, and this feeling had allowed my hopes to go wild and now, after two months and nine days, I was already feeling like he was the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. _And that,_ I thought with a sigh as I tore my eyes away from the window to look at the papers littering my desk, _is just an invitation for disaster…_

These dark thoughts were suddenly interrupted however when a smooth, masculine voice that I knew better than anyone whispered in my ear, "Hello Beautiful, how about going to a new restaurant tonight. I think I've found another one that you'd enjoy."

_Oh, I give in,_ I thought with a dreamy sigh, _wholly, completely, and unconditionally._

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_The different techniques and methods that man uses to keep track of the passing of time are fascinating_, I mused on my way to the soup kitchen Saturday morning. _While we often use the more common methods including the movement of the stars, the spinning of the planets, the waning and waxing of the moon and the change of the seasons to measure the flow of time, we also use momentous events that affect, or add to, the course of our lives in a significant way. Using the more traditional method I would describe today as: Saturday, August 25th. But if I used the more eccentric method I would describe today as: the 31st day since I had nearly lost self-control and nearly kissed a god of mythos, and the 23rd day since I was kissed by a cobra in Starbucks. _

With a frown I stopped outside the doors of the building that hosted the soup kitchen and thought for the millionth time since I'd had the unpleasant experience of having my flesh meet Naraku's lips **again**, _It's more than a terrible injustice for the fates to allow that man to get his dirty mouth on me **twice,** when the one man whose lips I'd actually **like** to do something with haven't even touched me **once**. _Crossing my arms, and tapping my foot slowly as my eyebrows drew together in concentration I muttered mentally, _Whether or not **he **wanted to isn't the question, and isn't something I'm brave enough to consider. However, It doesn't change the fact that the fates are being **far** too cruel letting **Naraku** touch me but not **him**._ I then had the most unpleasant experience of hearing a snide voice in my head quip, _Well, if you would've had a **spine**__and some **guts** you could've gone for it 31 days ago, you yellow-bellied chicken._ With a shake of my head and a low growl I stomped towards the closed door and yanking it open none-to gently, muttered under my breath, "You make it sound so easy."

Mr. Iwase looking up from his place behind the small table set up near the entrance quirked an eyebrow and in a teasing voice said, "Speaking to yourself again, Kagome? You know what that they means don't you?"

"That I'm on the verge of insanity," I sighed, setting my bags down behind the table so he could keep an eye on them. "Yes, I've heard that one before."

"No, not that one," he grinned. "It means you're severely distracted by something or frazzled… In your case I think I could hazard a guess that it has something to do with that handsome celebrity that you got to come volunteer here," he finished, head tilted, as wicked mirth danced in his eyes.

"For the last time, Iwase, I did _not_ convince him to come here and work, nor am I the reason for his generosity," I sighed. "Honestly Mr. Iwase," I grumbled as I pulled my hair into a messy bun.

He merely chuckled and said with a shake of his head, "I'm not trying to say he's not genuinely wanting to help, Kagome. I'm not blind though; it's an extra bonus getting to work with you."

"Is there nothing I can say to convince you that you're hallucinating?" I asked sweetly. "Because you are and you need to get help. The first step for a cure is to admit that you have a problem Mr. Iwase."

"Right back at you, hun," he laughed. "You have _serious_ issues with either naivety or living in la-la land – take your pick."

"Neither," I scoffed, trying to glare at him but failing miserably. He gave me a look that said I was about as intimidating as a kitten and I stood up as straight as possible and with a serious look on my face said, "Well, time to get to work!" Scurrying away from the man who liked to tease too much I went to seek refuge in the kitchen.

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August was nearly over. Nearly over and they weren't going out yet. Hell, they hadn't even _kissed_ yet This whole lack of _action_ was driving me over the edge. On top of _that_, they were both so busy, Kagome with her break and Sesshoumaru with business, that they'd hardly seen each other since the night they both disappointed me terribly. _Getting **that** close and not doing what they obviously wanted to do,_ I grumbled as I threw some ingredients in the mixing bowl and began stirring, using the motion to get out some of my aggravation. _Are they mentally handicapped when it comes to the opposite sex or what?_

Sure, they'd seen each other several times at the animal shelter or the soup kitchen whenever Sesshoumaru was able to make it. There was usually no flirting during those visits though due to a certain bubbly little girl's presence. Bless her, she kept them from doing _something_ but she did do one good thing. Rin's obvious adoration of Kagome had made Sesshoumaru like Kagome more. It was obvious in his eyes, those incredible gold eyes of his that looked differently at her, a strange swirl of warm emotions in their depths. That was at least _something_. Not what I wanted, but something none-the-less and according to Miroku I was just going to have to settle for that. _Damn it all._

It had been nice getting to know Sesshoumaru, but frustrating at the same time because the more I got to know him the more I became convinced that he was perfect for her. I could see that. Miroku could see that. Even Rin could obviously see that. _So why can't those two get it and get on with it already?_ I growled, slamming an empty eggshell in the sink as one of the objects of my frustration strolled into the kitchen, a frown marring her features as she took an apron off the peg on the wall.

"Good morning, Kagome," I said, instantly making my voice cheerful – a nearly impossible feat when all wanted to do was scream in frustration, "Admit it damn it! You like the man!"

"Good morning Sango, how was the date last night," she asked, grinning at me slyly.

Growling I put my hands on my hips as she approached the sink and began to wash her hands. "Don't think _you_ get to ask me questions with _that_ expression on your face! You have lost **all** teasing rights Kagome."

"Huh?" she stared at me wide-eyed.

I poked her in the shoulder hard for emphasis as I grumbled, "The girl who lives in la-la land and won't admit that she has something for the gorgeous white haired man who likes her doesn't get to tease me when I'm _dating_ the guy that I like."

Glaring she muttered, "First of all, what is it with people telling me I'm in la-la land this morning and seco-"

"It's because you are," I cried in a strangled whisper, throwing my arms up in the air.

"I'm not. But besides that, he _doesn't_ "like" me as you put it," she shook her finger at me failing to intimidate me in the slightest due to my roiled up state.

"Ha!" I cried triumphantly, catching something and running with it, "So you don't deny you like him?! **Good**, you _can_ learn!" I said sweetly.

"Sango," she growled, glaring up at me, obviously attempting to look terrifying but I had long grown immune to her "death glares." Opening her mouth to no doubt deny, for the millionth time, that she didn't _like_ Sesshoumaru she was cut off by a cheerful male voice.

Shivering at the sound of the voice I knew all too well I turned and found Miroku leaning against the doorframe, a roguish grin on his face. _Oh my go- Can I eat him please?_

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_I'm going to invite her. I'm tired of not seeing her,_ I decided as Rin and I reached the door and watched as Rin flung the door open a little too enthusiastically and Mr. Iwase winced as the door shuddered after it hit the building. "Rin," I murmured chastising while inside I was chuckling. _She's always as eager as I am to see her beloved "Teacher" although, for different reasons,_ I smiled as she apologized, greeted Mr. Iwase with a happy chirp, and skipped merrily off to the kitchen.

"Good to see you again today Mr. Taisho," the kind volunteer smiled from his seat behind the folding table.

"You too, Mr. Iwase," I nodded, smiling cordially. "So who's here today?"

"Everyone," he laughed, "and today they seem to be quite volatile. I've heard quite a bit of ruckus coming from the kitchen."

"Is that so?" I murmured, an eyebrow rising unconsciously.

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We served breakfast and lunch and were cleaning up when the right time finally presented itself. Going to join her as she wiped down the tables, the others working in the kitchen, I drew close and asked, "Are you free tonight, Kagome?"

Eyes wide she looked up at me before she straightened up from the table, wringing her cleaning rag in thought, "Yes. Why?"

Moving to stand just a hair's breadth away from her I watched with pleasure how her cheeks grew red and her pulse jumped before I murmured, "I haven't gotten to see you much lately since we've both been so busy so… Tonight Rin and Inuyasha and I are going to the Sumida River Firework Festival and I was wondering if you'd like to come with us?" My hand, of its own volition, reached out and took her perfect hip in its grasp, pulling her to me in a fluid motion. At the contact I realized that bringing her stunning body against mine in such a manner was just asking for a sensory overload; the way she felt, her intoxicating scent, the sound of her heart beat loud in my ears, and her torturously close proximity made me feel drunk, the blood roaring through my veins like molten lava rushing down a mountain side; unstoppable. Reeling from the violent surge of heat and want that she inspired I said as calmly as I could manage in my current state, "So, what do you say?"

Eye still wide as the sound of her fragile human heart fluttering wildly filled my ears she breathed shakily, "S-sure. That," she tried to smile but she was obviously too flustered, "sounds wonderful." I lost myself in the blue sea of her eyes and let her scent of flowers and life laced with the perfume of attraction wash over me before, with great reluctance, I broke the spell, pulling back slightly. As I did, Rin's words from earlier in the morning echoed in my head, _Dad quit being in denial – you've got to be the worst, still denying that you like her, that she likes you… It's just **stupid**. Even if I couldn't see it in the eyes I **can** smell it all too clearly when you two are around each other so admit it already, dang it. _

_She's right, I know it,_ I thought as Kagome and I collected ourselves and tried to begin cleaning the tables. _I can smell her attraction when I'm near her, but it's not enough. I inspire that scent in far too many women to just assume that it means she has real feelings for me. _Glancing sidelong at the woman that had opened my heart I nodded slightly, turning my gaze back to the table as I decided conclusively,_ I want to make sure that there's more than just attraction before I make a move. I shouldn't let pheromones make me doing something rash…_

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A growl cut through the sounds of dishes and counters being washed. Flinching I wondered who had growled but looking around and finding two pairs of brown eyes staring at me in shock I realized that I had been the perpetrator. Blushing slightly I grumbled, "Sorry. I'm just losing patience with my dad."

Sango arched an eyebrow inquisitively and said, "Oh, and why is that?"

"He's been an idiot living his life in denial," I sighed, picking up a wet dish and vigorously drying it before I set it on the counter.

"Gee," she huffed, rolling her eyes, "it sounds like you could be describing another person we know." Miroku laughed and handed me the next dish.

"So I see you understand things better than those two do, too, huh?" he smiled, brown eyes twinkling with amusement.

"This is hardly funny," I grumbled.

"I agree," Sango growled, crossing her arms over her chest and glowering at no one in particular. "It's so obvious just in the way they look at each other – I don't how they can't see it when their eyes meet."

"Oh, no," I shook my head, "you don't realize it but he's actually much denser than that." I sighed, "I can _smell_ their attraction and I can hear their heart rate jump through the ceiling… Which is why I growled just now."

"Really," Miroku asked, "You can um, _smell_ attraction?"

"Yes," I replied dully wondering why he was asking.

"So, did you um, smell…them right now?" Sango asked hesitantly. I nodded in affirmation and she muttered, "Oh for Pete's sake."

"So um, Rin," Miroku asked, eyes dancing with a wicked light as he moved towards Sango. "Would you be able to smell if Sang-" he started as he wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her up against him, her eyes bugging out in shock.

"Yes Miroku," I shook my head at the mischief-maker and sighed in long-suffering, "You are both reeking. In fact, could you try to tone it down a little bit," I grumbled, pinching the bridge of my nose as I gave him a dirty look, "you're giving me a headache." _Adults,_ I thought grumpily as I turned away from the couple and began to roughly wipe down the next dish. Unfortunately the sound of dinnerware breaking filled the kitchen only moments later.

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Apparently I hadn't scared the woman enough to keep from doing her normal routine, a fact that I noticed quite happily almost a month after our meeting in Starbucks. _At least not permanently,_ I admitted to myself begrudgingly. She had stopped going to that particular Starbucks for nearly 2 weeks but eventually she had returned. It was obvious that I had not interested her at all, but instead managed to repulse her and as such I had decided it was best to wait a bit before I approached her again… However, there's a fine line between love and hate, obsession and repulsion, and pain and pleasure and I was greatly looking forward to teaching her that life lesson. _After all, _I thought as I smirked wolfishly, hungry eyes eating up her perfect form while she opened the glass door and headed inside, "_I always get what I want in the end. Kagome Higurashi's no different._"

Leaving my hiding place I quickly walked to the closest florist, my long legs eating up the distance in short time. Purchasing a massive bouquet of 4 dozen red roses I returned to the coffee shop quickly and strode inside as if someone was expecting me, dark eyes scanning the crowded tables and chairs for her heavenly face. Finding her in her customary window side seat I couldn't help but leer as I saw the way the sunlight made her hair glow while it touched her pale skin and highlighted every curve. Straightening my shoulders I put on the façade of kind and apologetic and moved forward, more than confident that this confrontation would go better than the last. _Little steps,_ I told myself as I smothered the beast in me that wanted to take her right then and there in the middle of the shop, _Just one little step at a time… Damn, but it would be such an **experience** to take her here with everyone watching…_

"Kagome," I purred, coming to stand next to the empty chair at her table. Flinching and paling visibly she looked up from her book and opened her mouth, no doubt to say something sharp but I quickly cut her off. "I wanted to apologize for the last time. I was unforgivably rude and as a sign of my apologies I'd like to give you these flowers. They're nothing much but…"

Sapphire blue eyes wide she stared dully at the flowers before looking at me and then returned the jeweled orbs back to the massive bouquet. Finally, without looking back at me she opened her mouth, "I can't accept them."

"Please," I begged and she turned the attention of her expressive eyes back to me. "I don't expect you to forgive me but… It would make me feel so much better if you would accept them," I turned my eyes pleading on her and watched with a mental smirk as she squirmed uncomfortably in her chair. _Mmm,_ I thought as I took in her movements and wondered if she knew how seductive such a simple action was, _Hopefully soon I'll have you squirming under me like that…_

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I **hated** it when guys played the begging, pitiful, broken card. **Hated **it. I fell for it _every_ damn time even when I knew they were probably faking it. _And I'd been having such a good day too,_ I grumped as the heavenly memory of Sesshoumaru puling me close only twenty minutes earlier flitted dreamily through my head. Before I could stop myself a dreamy sigh escaped my lips and I realized in horror that I had probably gotten starry-eyed as well and that, no doubt, the puddle of toxic waste thought that it was because of him. Cursing, I brought myself down out the clouds and focused once more on the walking, talking, flower-toting pile of filth. _Yuck._

"No," I forced the words out of my lips despite the lame part of my brain that was being tortured by his pleading and was trying to accept, albeit grudgingly. Once the words were out of my mouth I couldn't help but puff up with a little bit of pride as I realized that for the first time in my life the pitiful, begging act hadn't worked on me.

He frowned slightly, obvious not expecting the resistance. Shifting slightly he asked, voice soft, "It would be a pity though to throw these beautiful flowers away…"

"Sorry," I shrugged and tried to appear uncaring. However, a part of me was screaming in pain at the thought of such gorgeous flowers going in the garbage. I'd always had a weakness towards flowers.

"There's nothing I can do to convince you?" he frowned sadly. _Damn you!_ I growled as I continued to wrestle with myself. _I hope you eat them!_

"No," I ground out, not trusting myself to speak more elaborately for fear of caving.

Eyes soft, something I hadn't thought possible for the man in front of me, he said quietly, "Kagome. I really am sorry about last time, I don't know what came over me…. Can't we start over again?"

"No, Mr. Hayashi," I sighed. "You went more than _way_ too far last time."

"I would have thought a woman like you believed in second chances?" he murmured, setting the roses down on the table.

"Not to the point of being foolish," I forced out. "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me," I sang out as I placed my book in front of my face once more, a clear dismissal. I prayed silently and waited for him to get the hint and leave unlike last time. The heavens either decided to ignore my prayers or were to busy I realized as he sat down, silent as a shadow.

"Kagome," he said, low voice rumbling up out of his broad chest. "I'm not going to be discouraged so easily."

I looked up at him from over my book and asked, "Why is that?"

He flashed his charming smile and I couldn't help but notice the shiver of foreboding that ran with icy fingers up my spine. "I'm a determined man Kagome and I always make it a point to get what I want."

"I fail to see what that has to do with me," I lied.

"You're a terrible liar, has anyone ever told you that," he chuckled. "I've made it more than clear that _you_ are what I desire."

"Well, better go find someone els-"

"Eventually you'll see my side of things Ms. Higurashi. Someday you'll wonder why you resisted so much," he smirked slightly and then stood up from the chair as he continued, "Have a wonderful weekend Kagome. I'll see you again soon." With those innocent words that sounded as ominous as if he had said, 'I will hunt you down to the ends of the earth and destroy you,' he turned to leave.

Blinking owlishly I realized that he had left the damn roses on the table. "Mr. Hayashi!" I called loudly over the noise of the shop, "The flowers."

"I'll let you throw them away, I don't have the heart to do it," he frowned; eyes sad and I resisted the urge to hiss at him. Giving me no time to argue he walked through the crowd and out the door, disappearing into the crowd that flooded the street.

Grumbling in annoyance I picked up the bouquet went to the front of the shop to stuff it in the garbage can labeled "burnable trash". Just as I reached it however, the bell above the nearby door chimed loudly and another powerful aura washed over me, filling the shop with its comforting presence. Turning, surprised, I found Rin and Sesshoumaru standing in the doorway looking at me calmly. "Oh," I said intelligently.

"I wanted to go to Starbucks and then when we got here we saw you in the door," Rin laughed. "What are you doing with a bouquet of roses Higurashi-sensei?"

Jumping guiltily I glanced down at the massive pile of plants in my hands and then quickly shoving them through the flap and into the bin I giggled nervously, muttering, "Oh, um, nothing."

"I'm sure," Sesshoumaru murmured, golden eyes grim as he captured mine in a iron-like grip. With a twitch I realized that with his over-sensitive nose that he could probably smell on the roses.

Feeling nervous under those fiery gold orbs that were unusually stern I coughed and said, "Well, I guess I'll see you both later tonight then? I need to go home and take Ran for a walk, sorry."

"Ok," Rin chirped happily before shooting her a dad a confused glance.

"I'll meet you at Asakusa station then," I waved and scurried back to my table to collect my things without even waiting to hear their answer. _The first thing I'm doing as soon as I get home is take a shower and throw these clothes in the wash with extra detergent._

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I'd felt his presence as we approached the Starbucks that Rin had spotted once we'd finished our errand downtown after we'd left the soup kitchen. I thought nothing of it, other than letting my lip curl in distaste, and we'd continued forward. Reaching the window however, my heart attempted to leave my chest cavity and exit my body through my mouth when my eyes found Kagome in front of the garbage can next to the door with a massive bouquet of red roses in her hands. Worry making my muscles tighten I followed Rin who was blissfully ignorant, for once, through the door. With my next breath my worst fears were confirmed and before I could stop myself I was looking her up and down, trying to make sure that she wasn't harmed in some way. When she turned and saw us standing next to her she twitched slightly, her scent spiking with surprise as she adjusted the roses, holding them awkwardly in her hands as if they made her feel uncomfortable. _Which they should,_ a voice in my head growled furiously.

At Rin's question I watched as she jumped guiltily and stared down at the tainted beauty she held and with a muttered, "Oh, um, nothing," shoved them unceremoniously into the garbage bin. _Which is the only place they belong,_ I grumbled as I stared at her, worry, surprise, and anger swirling around in my thoughts.

The man had given her flowers, which meant he'd known she was here which in turn meant that he was watching her. Unease settled in my stomach like a lead weight as I replied, voice dull, "I'm sure." Holding her eyes with mine as I tried to rein in my raging emotions I tried to see if she would give away any sign that this hadn't been the first time he'd sought her out. She merely looked uncomfortable and I realized as she made her excuses for a hasty retreat that the subject I wished to discuss would have to wait until later tonight – in private.

_She attracts more trouble than anyone I've ever met,_ I grumbled, scowling at the floor while I stood in line next to Rin.

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As I left the restaurant I felt a familiar aura and couldn't stop the growl that reverberated from my chest, my foul mood growing by leaps and bounds due to his appearance. That was, of course, until I realized how opportune his appearance really was. Pausing I turned to watch the drama unfold just as he caught sight of her through the glass, the roses in her hands causing him to pause fractionally. Grinning wickedly I relished the scent of agitation and worry as it rolled off of him in waves the moment his daughter opened the door and he caught my scent. No doubt, being the overly intelligent bastard that he was, he realized the layers of significance behind those innocent looking flowers. Namely that I had been watching her. Chuckling I turned to walk back to my office to take care of some pressing business. _That's right Sesshoumaru, _I smirked, _I **will** have her one way or another… Just watch mutt, I'll have her **screaming** my name soon enough._

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"Hey Sesshoumaru, you seem kind of stiff? Did someone stick something up your as-"

"Shut your flapping jowl Inuyasha," I cut him off quickly, pinning him with a belittling glance as Rin giggled. At the sound of the train's speaker system announcing our arrival at Asakusa station I release a sigh in relief, the sound washing over my ears like music. I _was_ tense after the afternoon's revelation and Inuyasha, being the typical younger sibling, was not helping. At all. "Something came up today, that's all," I said smoothly as I passed the sliding doors of the train.

His only response was to snort in doubt behind my back and mutter, "Yeah, why do I get the feeling _that's_ an understatement?"

When we passed the ticket gates, the massive crowd pulling us along in its strong current like leaves in a river, I tried to scan the mob, searching for the midnight hair and the summer ocean eyes, sniffing the air as I tried to sort out her delicate fragrance. When I found her after only a few moments, standing near a pillar separated from the crowd, I couldn't stop the sudden spasm of my lungs that brought in a lung-full of air with an audible hiss. Dressed in a lovely dark blue yukata decorated tastefully with fireflies and small pink flowers, her hair done up in a playful bun with a few accessories for decoration, and wearing the barest hint of makeup she looked stunning. _As usual,_ I chuckled as I looked at her for a second more before I announced our presence, drinking in the sight of her and burning it into memory.

"Kagome," I spoke as I drew up alongside her and instantly felt the pull of her body on mine, like the pull of a magnet. She'd jumped a little at my voice and I resisted the urge to tease her saying instead, "Are you ready to go?"

Rin and Inuyasha caught up with me then, and Rin grabbed her hand, gracing us all with a smile that glowed with happiness. "Of course you are, right teacher? Let's go!" Tugging enthusiastically she began tugging at Kagome and pulled her forward, the two of them giggling. Enjoying watching them for a moment I didn't follow after them immediately and Inuyasha moved up beside me, arms over his chest.

"She's really good with Rin isn't she?" he said thoughtfully. I merely nodded knowing that he didn't need me to say the answer. "Explain to me again why you haven't made a damn move _yet_. And the puppy, while technically it _was_ a move, wasn't **clear** enough – like crystal clear. In other words a kiss, or a confession, or _something_," he glared up at me, attempting to look condescending. It's difficult to pull that off though when you're shorter than the person you're trying to snub.

With a sniff I turned the look on him, "What I choose to do or not do with Kagome is my business. Besides, she's Rin's teache-"

"Oh cut the bull," he snorted. "You haven't thought of her as Rin's teacher for a long time. And you shouldn't be," he shook a finger in my face. "But you listen to me Sesshoumaru, as much as you hate the idea of taking advice from me, I'm telling you right now if you don't get your ass in gear someone's going to swoop in and _they'll_ be the lucky man that gets to be with her. Girls like her are rare and they have no end to the suitors that come their way. If you don't want to lose her then-"

"I get the drift Inuyasha," I grumbled. "No need to repeat yourself." Stepping forward I moved to catch up the two playful females who threaded their way through the pulsating mass. Festivals were a wild kaleidoscope of sights, sounds, and smells. The festival goers with their colorful clothes and their uchiwa flashing in the light of the white and red lanterns and the street lights, the booth keepers' shouts filling the air as the sound of the food being cut, cooked, and crushed run through the air, an undercurrent to all the noise. The sound of drums and other traditional instruments brought back memories of the past and wove a spell in the dark, wrapping magical tendrils around all the people that packed the streets, pulsing against their eardrums in a hypnotizing rhythm. The smell of the food, people's bodies packed together and sweating slightly in the muggy summer night air filled my nostrils while the scent and the sound of the river was a gentle caress on the senses. All of the stimuli together nearly created a cacophony for my overly keen senses, but somehow it still managed to weave the beautiful enchantment that swirled around everything and everyone, taking us all away from the city to another place and time. This ability that festivals had to nearly make me forget that I was living in a city choked by pollution was incredibly soothing and as such festivals had, over the years, become a favorite activity during the summertime.

Looking at Kagome and Rin I could see that the festival had worked its magic on them as well and I couldn't help but smile. "Enjoying yourselves?" I grinned at Kagome before crouching down to Rin's level and wrapping her in my arms, swinging her up to perch on shoulders, her little legs dangling down on each side of my neck.

"Yes!" Kagome shouted over the noise, eyes sparkling happily.

"When do you the fireworks start again," Inuyasha asked, scratching his head thoughtfully.

"Should be starting in another 30 minutes according to the schedule," I answered, looking at my watch, "So why don't we go see if we can get any seats near the river."

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I _loved_ festivals and being with Sesshoumaru and his family was, as always, unbelievably enjoyable. The fireworks had been stunning. The parade of taiko drums and floats that crawled past in the street, the mob moving and shifting to allow the floats to be set to spinning as the people in those moving shrines dressed as different mythical people and creatures moved through traditional steps as throughout it all the piercing, mournful wail of the wooden flute rose into the summer night, taking my imagination with it. The booths full of delicious food made my mouth water as the tempting smells hit my nose and the games at some of them were irresistible.

I realized very quickly however when I went to play my first game just how slow humans must seem to youkai. Sitting down at the kingyou sukui booth and tying up my right sleeve behind my elbow I saw Rin sit down on the stool next to me, a massive grin plastered on her face. "Do you like this game Higurashi-sensei?" she asked gleefully, eyes bright.

"Yeah, I do," I chuckled. "I'm not that good at it but it's fun anyway."

"Me too, I'm terrible at it, but Dad is _really_ good. He's had training though so it makes sense," she shrugged nonchalantly and handed the attendant her money in exchange for a paper net. Giving him my money as well he handed me my net, and grinning wolfishly at Rin I got ready to go after my first victim.

When my net almost hit the water I noticed that she hadn't moved yet and following her line of sight I saw the shop keeper straighten on his stool and with a cough say, "Alright, you seem like a sweet little girl so I'll give you a deal and give you four seconds."

Rin beamed at him and squealed happily, "Thank you! Alright I'm ready Teacher!"

"Huh?" I asked, my brain sticking on the man's words. "Four seconds? What do you mean she only gets _four_ seconds! That's cheating you ol-"

"Um, Higurashi-sensei," Rin interrupted quickly, placing a small hand on my arm. "It's ok. Trust me."

Grumbling I muttered under my breath so only she could hear, "He's ripping you off but if you're ok with that…"

With a giggle, covering her free hand with her mouth she nodded her head and said, "More than ok. Now let's start together – on the count of three." Feeling the playful competitive side of my personality rising to the surface once more I nodded and crouched closer to the table, preparing for the start. With a hiss Rin said, "Three!" and we were both off except that I didn't even see her little hand move and even worse, before my net had even reached the water's surface she had already caught 6 fish. Stunned at her speed and accuracy I turned away from her and tried to focus.

After four seconds the shopkeeper said cheerfully, "Alright, time's up dear. Let's see how many you've got there." At his surprised cough I couldn't help but turn to look and I found that Rin's bowl was packed full of the small goldfish.

"What the?" a woman yelped and it took me a moment to realize that the woman was me. "How did you… How did you _do _that?!" I breathed, eyes wide as I stared at the mass of squirming, writhing fish that didn't have enough room or water to swim properly.

Sesshoumaru chose that moment to catch up to us and leaned down between us, his white hair falling over his shoulder, creating a curtain that seemed to be made of spider silk tinged red by the light of the lantern, and my heart stuttered painfully at the sight and smell of him along with the sudden proximity. "Hmm…you're getting better dear," he smiled warmly then, his voice low and rich, "Good job."

"But she… Just _four_ seconds… And," I stuttered numbly, causing him to turn his warm gold eyes on me and I couldn't help by blush.

"Shopkeepers always have to give us a handicap because if they didn't they wouldn't make any profits Kagome," he smiled. "Usually they limit youkai children to two seconds, three if they're feeling generous," he shrugged as if he was discussing common knowledge like, 'Light clothes reflect light so they should be worn in the summer.' In theory, yes, I knew that youkai were faster and stronger than we humans; I'd had to study that in college to get my teaching license after all, but I'd never seen it put into action in such a… an… an insignificant little thing like a game at a festival. Now that I'd seen it first hand it made sense of course, but my brain was being a bit slow in its attempts to swallow the information. It felt like trying to swallow a horse-pill without something to drink.

With a start I realized he was looking at my bowl, my pitifully empty bowl and I instantly felt my cheeks burst into flame. "Oh gah… That's embarrassing," I groaned, counting 5 fish swimming happily in the bowl.

"Why's that," he purred, tantalizing lips so close to my face turning up in an attractive smile, "you did quite well for only 4 seconds and your net's still in tact."

I laughed, "It's ok, I think I'm good. I know when to admit defeat."

He just chuckled, the sound bubbling up out of his throat like hypnotizing music and I made the mistake of looking up at his eyes. Instantly lost in the molten depths I felt the blood in my veins grow hot as he held my eyes in a firm grip and murmured, "You really did do very well."

I would have snorted dubiously if I'd had enough air in my lungs to do so, but instead had to settle for whispering, "No, not really." Smiling he straightened and Rin scrambled up from her booth, dumping the majority of the fish back into the trough. Standing and dumping my _five_ fish back in I turned with a chuckle, "I need some sweets to recover from the unbelievable butt-kicking. I'll be over at that booth while Rin's getting her fish bagged." Without waiting for a reply I wove my way through the crowd, taking as straight a path as possible to the ringo-ame booth. Licking my lips as I waited in line, my nose accosted with the enticing smell of the liquid candy mixed with apple I was so focused that I noticed too late the powerful aura that saturated the air around me.

"After you've purchased your consolation prize why don't we go for a walk," the deep voice caressed my ears like the finest of silk as his warm breath fanned out on the back of my neck. Shivering in the dead heat of the night I turned to face the man that always seemed to be wreaking havoc on my body's functions and I couldn't stop the pleasant, warm feeling of premonition from pooling in the pit of my stomach when I caught the look in his eyes. Suddenly the apple didn't seem so appetizing and I found myself wanting to nibble on something else. A pair of torturously luscious lips that belonged to the impossibly handsome man that stood next to me – to be exact.

"Sure," I managed to breath with only a slight quiver in my voice. "But what about Inuyasha and Rin?"

"They went to a shooting gallery. They'll be fine, but I have something I need to discuss with you in private," he smiled gently as the heat in his eyes increased. _Oh my go- Just kiss him already damn it,_ a voice in my head screamed in frustration as my whole body grew hot. Reaching the front of the line I purchased the apple, feeling all the while like I was trying to move through molasses, time seeming to drag by so slowly that for a moment I feared it had stopped completely. Painfully aware of his scent, the way the light from the lanterns reflected on his white hair while that same light reflected brightly in the golden pools of his eyes, I turned to walk with him and couldn't help but notice how he moved with an inhuman grace that spoke of control and immeasurable power. _I can't believe I'm walking with this man who seems to have stepped straight out of the tomes of mythos, _I thought numbly as we moved through the crowd, being pushed and pulled in its strong current. When we reached the end of the booths I noticed with surprise that he intended to keep walking and asked, "Um, Sesshoumaru, where are we going?"

"A little farther down this street there's a little garden by a local shrine with a nice bench. It should be a nice place to speak privately," he chuckled at the confusion in my voice.

"Oh, right," I replied numbly as my brain raced ahead in several different directions at once. _This is a recipe for disaster,_ I thought with a sigh. _A walk was bad enough… I don't know how much longer I can ignore the fact that I **want** to kiss him – badly – and going to a secluded garden to sit on a bench and talk is not conducive to staying in control,_ I groaned as the realization hit me full force. _Sitting with a man that you are falling for – at night in a garden – is not good when you aren't sure how he feels about you yet. Damn it all,_ I growled before I ran into a very solid form. Looking up, disoriented, I realized that I'd run into Sesshoumaru's back when he came to a sudden halt in front of a side gate at one of the many small local shrines.

"We're here," he chuckled and I felt the reverberations in his back before he pulled away, fiddled momentarily with something on the gate and then opened it, waving me inside.

"Um, are we allowed to be here at this time of night?" I whispered as he pushed me forward, down a winding path to a small, modest garden decorated with grasses, shrubs, and rock patterns along with a sparse scattering of flowers located around a small pond with a spring that trickled down a few rocks before it joined musically with the larger mass.

"There's nothing of much value here but usually, no, people aren't allowed in this late. I know the man who takes care of this shrine personally though, so I know the combination and have permission to come here whenever I am struck with the need to relax," he purred, and I wondered briefly how the man could make any conversation sound sexy and alluring. _ I guess it's all in the voice, _I mused as he steered me towards a small, simple, stone bench. Sitting down on it first he took my wrist in his strong hand and gently pulled me down to sit next to him.

Away from the streetlights and the tall buildings the night sky became more visible and I noticed the moon was almost full, just the barest sliver still shrouded in darkness. The noise of the festival was a distant hum, nearly drowned out by the drone of cicadas and the occasional cricket while the shadows were occasionally set ablaze with an eerie green glow from the lighting bugs as they drunkenly bumbled along in the humid air, thick as syrup on the skin. All in all, the gentle quiet and understated beauty of the garden under the light of that gorgeous August moon hanging so high in the sky should have made me feel calm and at peace. Calm and peace were very far from my mind at the moment however. Painfully aware of the stunning man who sat so close, his features complimented by the pale white light, I couldn't keep my heart from racing like a rabbit being chased by a dog. Not from fear, of course. _Well, not in the negative sense like Naraku inspires,_ I admitted grudgingly. _But, I guess he does inspire another type of fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear of dashed hopes._ I was suddenly interrupted from my brooding thoughts by the voice that was far too good at making me melt. Turning to face him as my name rolled from those unbearably tempting lips I began chanting to myself, _No touching, no kissing, no touching, no kissing, no fantasizing, and did I mention **no **kissing whatsoever! _Finding my eyes straying to his lips again I cursed mentally and forced myself to speak in an attempt to distract my disobedient body, "Yes?"

"I'm sorry to bring this up but," he hesitated, gold eyes swirling in a strange mixture of emotions that I couldn't begin to sort, "it's important."

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Fighting, wrestling with myself fiercely I kept repeating like a mantra to myself, trying desperately to hold on to what little self-control I had left, _You just wanted to ask her about Naraku. You will not do anything stupid that you might regret later. Kissing her would qualify as one of those regrettable things. Just ask her about Naraku. No kissing. Naraku._ With a mental growl I dredged up all of the fury that had boiled in my blood earlier in the afternoon when I'd realized the disgusting man had been watching her, had even dared to approach her. As that anger resurfaced I finally managed to get a tighter grip on the few tattered shreds of control that hadn't completely slipped through my fingers. It was still dangerously frail but better than nothing, I decided as I tried to watch the black haired goddess who sat next to me with detached eyes. _I'll be here all night,_ I realized with resigned frustration as I opened my mouth to say her name, deciding that it was safer to get the conversation over with and then run as far away from this secluded place as I could.

_Really, what **had** I been thinking, bringing her here… To this place that was more for a lover's tryst than a serious conversation. It doesn't help that I would love more than anything for it to be the former rather than the latter… Gods, does she realize how beautiful she is?_ I thought before I could stop myself, and realizing that I was getting nowhere fast I finally managed to force my open mouth to form speech. "Kagome," I said with more heat than I had meant to reveal. _Damn it all._

She turned her angelic face to look up at me, blue eyes looking slightly startled, and I couldn't help the hitch in my breathing. Quickly, before her unbelievable beauty steered me away from the reason for us coming to this ridiculous place – which I was beginning to regret more deeply with every heart beat – I tried to get in touch with the worry and concern that Naraku's interference had caused. The woman just had a way of throwing me off balance. _Thank God she's not a business rival,_ I thought dryly before I managed to speak once more, "I'm sorry to bring this up but…it's important." I couldn't help the nearly inaudible sigh that escaped my lips as I started to breach the subject that would no doubt be uncomfortable and awkward. _Well, it could be worse, _I admitted ruefully, _I could be asking her out…_

Her eyes growing apprehensive she said hesitantly, her voice quiet, "Ok."

"The flowers," I replied, as if those two words could say and explain all that needed to be said. Amazingly she seemed to understand quite a lot of what I wanted to say, despite the serious lack of speech.

Eyes growing impossibly wide she breathed a single word, "Oh."

"Yes," I murmured.

"Right," she muttered, eyes narrowing in distaste.

"Hn," was all I said, hoping that she would elaborate without me having to actually come out and ask bluntly, something I was loath to do if it could be avoided.

"Well," she said, and I waited for a moment before I realize she wasn't going to add anything.

"Well?" I asked, realizing that our conversation was far too monosyllabic and going nowhere fast.

"Uh," she responded, squirming uncomfortably under my gaze.

Sighing as I admitted defeat and took the reins of the conversation into my hands again I asked, "They were from Naraku, correct?"

Grimacing slightly she nodded her head, disgust obvious in the crease of her brow and the wrinkling of her nose. "He met you in the coffee shop then?" Another nod, her face screwing up more severely before I continued, "Is it the first time he's met you?" Expecting yet another nod as it was getting to be like a routine I felt my gut lurch violently when she shook her head in the negative. Biting back a growl of surprise I tried to keep my voice neutral as I asked, "How many times?"

"This was the second time," she murmured, face radiating displeasure. "The last time was nearly a month ago," she paused, eyes searching mine briefly before she continued. "He found me there, in that same Starbucks… After that I didn't go there for about two weeks but eventually I started going there again, figuring that it was safe. I'd nearly managed to block it out of my mind altogether when he showed up today with those damn roses in hand." She was growling by the time she finished and I found a small amount of comfort in the realization that she obviously was not blinded, like so many women, by his poisonous charms. _Well, she's still too damn innocent and sweet beyond words, but at least she's not being innocently nonchalant about **one** viper,_ I thought as relief began to thread it's cool tentacles through my raging blood that, with the negative nod of her head, had blazed like a forest fire.

"Knowing Naraku," I began, eyes grim, "I'm guessing that he didn't just chat?" It was a statement as well as a question and she hesitated a moment before responding.

"Oh he chatted," she grumbled, "the _whole_ time he was doing other stuff." She shuddered and I barely managed to suppress that growl that begged for release.

Unable to stop myself, my desire to know what the filthy man had done to her unbearable, I asked quietly, "What did he do?"

Blushing fiercely before she turned her eyes away to stare at the pebbles on the ground below she mumbled so quietly, had it not been for my keen hearing, I would have missed it completely, "I'd rather not say."

My hand was out, reaching for her before I knew it had even left its previous resting place on the bench, swallowing her fragile, delicate hand in a gentle hold. Surprise shining in her eyes she looked at me and visibly swallowed before she opened her mouth hesitantly, nothing more than a dry squeak passing through her full lips. With a cough she tried again and said, "I was waiting for Sango the first time he came and he took the empty chair at my table and started trying to…to… Heaven's I don't know," she shook her head with a growl, eyes turning to glare at the ground as if it offended her. "I think he was trying to flirt with me, charm me, seduce me, or possibly all three. It only creeped me out though, so I kept sending him all the signals, most of them ridiculously blunt, that I was not interested and wanted him to leave. Resisting though seemed to make him more determined and before I knew it he took my hand in his…disgusting one and," her voice shook as a shiver racked her body violently and I felt my hand tightening on hers protectively, "kissed it. As if that hadn't been bad enough – and trust me it was – he started kissing up my hand and then he was getting ready to _bite_ my wrist or something – like a freak vampire that you read about in novels. That was when Sango got there and managed – barely – to save me," she shook her head then, looking up at me for the first time since she had begun to recount the details of their meeting. What she saw made her inhale sharply; breath sucking through her slightly parted lips in a loud _hiss_.

A heat as intense and unforgiving as the sun burned away the small amount of relief I had felt over her obvious wariness of the man when the word, "kissed," had rolled off her lips. The beast in me raged, roared and thrashed violently against the bars of iron control, begging for release. A release that I gladly would've given it several centuries ago, but now was not the day and age where I could go on a bloody rampage. _But **damn **it all to the darkest depths of **hell** I want to do that man bodily harm. Serious bodily harm,_ I thought, the blood pumping through my veins at an alarming rate while my pulse pounded deafeningly in my ears. _The man dared not only to approach her and speak to her but dared to touch her with his filthy hands and lips – **again**_. The growl bubbled up out of my chest and this time I didn't bother to stop it, my control on my more violent slide dangerously close to slipping. I hadn't been this truly angry for such a long time that I couldn't even recall the last time. Eyes bleeding red, the beast in me couldn't help but point out that Naraku had done something to her that I'd deeply desired to do. _Before me._ This realization, as petty as it was when compared to the overall problem, only goaded me further and had it not been for the shocked expressions on Kagome's face I probably would have let out the angry roar that was clawing at my vocal chords, fighting for freedom. As it was she already looked like she was going to faint and so with the speed of a reptile on the coldest day of winter I began snuffing out the raging fire that had nearly made me lose control, one lick of flame at a time.

Finally, after a long time I became aware of her worried eyes on mine and at long last I trusted myself enough to speak, saying with serious eyes, "I take it you understand that Naraku is not someone you would want to be around? He has," I paused searching for a delicate word, "a _history_ with women that leaves a lot to be desired."

Still looking a bit shaky she breathed, her breath a wisp over her red lips, "I'd gotten that feeling, yes."

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I'd known that Sesshoumaru wasn't human, was unbelievably strong, and had senses so acute that it shouldn't have been possible. I'd known that, but the man was so charming, so handsome, that I often lost sight of the fact, had not really even contemplated, how unimaginably different and powerful he was. But when I had looked up, feeling an odd prickling on my skin as if the air surrounding us was being pulled tight by an immense suffocating energy, I had learned just how different he was. An invisible power pored off of him in waves that I could feel with every fiber of my being screaming "danger" even though I knew his fury was not directed at me. The power and his eyes the color of blood in the moonlight made me realize that there was a raging animalistic force that pulsed in his every pore. It had been so easy to forget that centuries ago this man, this incredible man, in front of me had not been bound by the chains of modern society as he was now.

Looking into those eyes as he radiated barely controlled, raging power I knew that I was drowning in the eyes of a powerful creature, one that made my heart flutter in my chest while my lungs seized painfully. Feeling faint from the lack of air I tried to hold my place, tried to keep from moving a muscle, afraid that if I broke eye contact or twitched in the slightest whatever was keeping the animal chained would snap. I knew his ire wasn't pointed at me, but at the subject of our conversation instead. Knowing this didn't keep from being nervous, the hair on the nape of my neck standing straight up from the electric power that seemed to make the air sizzle. _Asking me to not fear or respect this power is like asking me if I'd enjoy standing in an empty field in the middle of violent lightning storm wearing a full suit of European style armor_, I thought nervously as I continued to watch him, struggling to suck in the oxygen that I needed so desperately. And then with painful slowness I saw that he was trying to douse the flames, brick by torturous brick he built the dam and when he finally looked at me again I saw the sun replacing the blood, apology swirling in the warm depths.

Voice low, the slightest hint of that unbearable strength threading through it, he said, "I take it you understand that Naraku is not someone you would want to be around? He has… a _history_ with women that leaves a lot to be desired."

Breathing shakily, the oxygen running cool fingers down my depraved lungs, I replied, "I'd gotten that feeling, yes."

"Good," he purred, lips turning up in the barest hint of a smile.

"I didn't feel good about him from the moment I first laid eyes on him but I didn't forget what you said to him when you rescued me at the party. You said something about him 'accosting' a woman the previous week," I shrugged. "It didn't make me feel any more inclined to give him a chance. That and he _obviously_ thinks that he's God's gift to women," I gagged, "and that's something that I can't _stand_."

"Well," he chuckled, a rich noise that resonated from his broad chest, "I'll have to keep that in mind."

_Oh my go- did he just **say** that? But you **are **God's gift to women!_ I mentally shook myself violently trying to clear the embarrassing thought. "Good, see that you do," I sniffed, doing my best to appear scrupulously composed. _A lofty goal,_ I thought ruefully as he merely smirked, golden eyes watching me a warm intensity.

"I will if you keep in mind to, _please_, be careful about Naraku," he purred, eyes turning from warm and teasing to dead serious in a breath. "You realize that the flowers mean he's been watching," at my startled doe look he paused. "I'm not telling you this to scare you, I just don't want you to be ignorant or naïve when it comes to this man. With Naraku ignorance is far from bliss. The last thing I'd want is for you to get caught up in his web and get hurt because I didn't tell you something."

"So, he _has_ been watching me you think?" I groaned. "I'd been afraid of that, but kept trying to tell myself that he wouldn't waste that much time and energy on me."

An elegant eyebrow rose in obvious curiosity as he murmured, "And what in the world made you think that?"

I couldn't help it, I rolled my eyes before I huffed without thinking, "Because it's not _normal_ for guys like _him_ to go after plain, normal girls like me." As soon as the words were out of my mouth I realized that those very words could be directed at Sesshoumaru as well. Of course, that was what I'd always thought about Sesshoumaru. Every time I started to hope or wish or Sango would suggest something I would squash the idea with logic. Wealthy, handsome, smart, kind men didn't pursue normal girls like me. That was what happened in movies… It just didn't happen in real life.

I'd never said anything like that in front of _Sesshoumaru_ though, and now that I had I suddenly felt like the words would become the truth, wholly and completely. Not just a phrase I used to keep myself from getting hurt when dashed hopes, but the truth. A fact. Looking up at him nervously I found a look of consternation on his face and tried not to wince. _Good grief, Kagome you are a world-class moron. You and your flapping mouth._

Shaking his head slightly and clearing his throat he growled, "It may not be normal Kagome, but it _does_ happen," he paused and a strange emotion flashed through his eyes too quickly to identify it. "And where in the world did you _ever_ get the idea that you were 'normal' or 'plain'? That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard," he grumbled, voice rumbling out of his chest like distant thunder as his eyes grew warm.

Starting to drown in the sun I decided that it was time to change the subject. _Fast_. "Well, I'll be sure to remember to be careful about Naraku. He's the last person I want to run into, trust me," I chirped loudly.

His eyes only grew more confusing, more heated and I realized as he spoke in a low, rich voice that my attempt at a distraction appeared to have been a flop. "Good," was all he said but I felt my blood grow warm and as my brain started to turn to sludge, I grabbed for anything, anything to mention as I tried to keep a hold on what little control I had left. His eyes, his voice, his very presence was stripping away all the layers of protection that I had built against him, against the possibility of disaster. With every second that he looked at me like _that_ I could feel myself drawing closer and closer to the brink, to the dreaded Event Horizon.

"Thank you so much for inviting me tonight," I said and nearly winced at the nervous quiver in my voice. _I need to get away from here **now**,_ I thought frantically and ordered my legs to move. Standing too quickly on quivering legs I lost my balance and when I found an unbelievably strong arm wrapped around my waist I knew I had made a damning miscalculation. Looking up at the youkai that now stood so close to me I realized that I'd jumped from the boiling water and into the blazing fire. Looking into eyes that burned I felt my stomach clench as my lungs contracted painfully. Standing under the moonlight, he once again became mythos, a god who'd come down from the moon to walk on Earth.

I only had one coherent thought that went through my mind before I was completely consumed by the flames. _Shite._

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"

She had stood up suddenly, teetering wildly, and before I knew it I had caught her, bringing myself dangerously close to the woman that was already wreaking havoc on my control. Cursing my luck I ordered my rebellious arms to let go of the live wire that they held, but it was as impossible as removing your hand from the socket while bolts of raw electricity tore through your flesh. At war with myself I struggled until she looked up at me with those cursed blue eyes.

In that moment, as time slowed to an impossible crawl, the breath that I hadn't realized I'd been holding during my internal struggle abandoned my lungs with a nearly audible _whoosh_ as I crashed into the ocean.

The moon was reflected in the twin pools of her eyes, darkened to a rich blue, beautiful and haunting as it floated on the surface of the roiling sea, and all too soon I felt myself sinking farther, drowning in those depths. My heart lurched in my chest as I tried to breach the surface, tried to escape, and I felt my body, my body that had become nothing more than molten blood and bones and muscles weak from the exhaustion that came with resistance, move closer to her, impossibly, improbably closer. And then, as my mind exploded like the fireworks from the festival, all logical, ordered thoughts sparking brilliantly before they winked out of existence, I lost all self-imposed shackles that held me back from my desires.

Her scent a heady drug filling my nostrils as it clouded my thoughts I brought my face closer to hers, our noses touching as she shivered, blue eyes impossibly wide. A whispered breath escaped her beautiful lips and I couldn't stop the shudder that shook me as its warmth caressed my face. Surrendering myself to the waves, to chaos, I moved forward to claim what I had been burning to taste for far too long.

At the forbidden contact all semblance of sanity abandoned me and the world became nothing more than her, the experience, and the feel of her in my arms, pressed unbelievably close. The texture and taste of her full lips, the gasp that escaped those lips as they were joined with mine, the way she shivered in pleasure, how her heartbeat roared in my ears like the beat of a massive taiko drum, how her scent was flooded with surprise and excitement, how the silk of her hair twisted in my fingers – it was all painfully vivid and nothing had ever felt so _right_, being with her like _this_. There was nothing but the two of us under the light of the moon as I reveled in all that was the Goddess in my arms. As she shyly granted me blessed access and I hungrily deepened the kiss, the taste of honey on my tongue and my body nothing more than a living, breathing flame, I was barely coherent enough to pray that time would stop and that the blue-eyed Angel would never pull away.

**End Chapter**

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Well there's chapter 7 guys – hope it's to everyone's liking! Sorry it took so long but I just finished with finals – ack! I'm tired too, like fall over dead tired so if I have typos or grammatical mistake or this sucks I apologize.

But, thank you all so much for the reviews and comments! They mean so much and help me relax enough to let more ideas come for the next chapters – I'm not very productive while worried, ha! Someday I'll get over being this way hopefully, but for now thank you all for bearing with me! Anyway, I'd also like to say thanks to all the people that have listed me under favorites and/or put me on their alerts list – it means a lot!

And to all anonymous reviewers – thank you for all of your comments – they _are_ read and appreciated – my only regret is that I can't respond to your nice notes. Specifically to Eruruuchan, kagome, 2cool4u: thank you so much for the sweet notes about my mom – it means so much during this difficult time! To the rest of you, thanks so much! Feel free to keep leaving your notes anonymously, but I promise I won't bite (unless you do first? Lol) so if you ever want me to respond feel free to leave a signed note. Also, in regards to the anonymous reviewer who asked if I was Japanese…. I'm afraid, as well as sorry, to disappoint but, no. I'm an American college student studying in Japan for a year since I'm a Japanese major. Hence the – no doubt - terrible English. My English has suffered greatly since I began studying a few years ago, haha, and it certainly hasn't gotten any better after being here for a little over 4 months. ( '-' )v If any of you have any other questions feel free to ask \( '-' )/

Please let me know what you think of this chapter – sorry it's so bloody long – hopefully it won't drag, but if it does I apologize. Anyway, your reviews and your thoughts are my fuel, so once again: THANK YOU! (Hugs!)

As Always,

**Bloodrain's Tears**

p.s. I finally made a myspace account so for any of you that have one, feel free to add me if the whim ever hits you ( '-' )v (the link's on my account page)

**Chapter 7 Notes:**

For those who don't know "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" is a short story from Rudyard Kipling's "The Jungle Book" but it is so popular that it has been published on it's own as a small book and even put into cartoon form. I don't know how famous it is but anyway, Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, a mongoose, goes to war with a pair of cobras who are threatening the human family that saved him (when they found him nearly drowned to death). Random reference there, so I thought maybe I should explain just in case. (I put a poem from the story at the bottom – it's super nostalgic for me, haha. Sorry! "Nag" means "cobra" in India, just for a reference)

The animals attributed commonly with/sacred to Aphrodite are as follows: swan, dove, and sparrow. The plant myrtle is also sacred to her. – In conclusion, Naraku did _not_ pull it out of his butt. Haha. And Wikipedia is an author's best friend. ( '-' )d Aha.

**Uchiwa:** a type of round fan on a stick – if you type it in on google images you can get a bunch of pictures ( '-' )v

**Kingyou sukui:** a traditional festival game where you try to see how many fish you can scoop up with a paper net (paper stretched tightly on a circular wire or plastic frame) and throw in your bowl before the paper breaks.

**Ringo-ame:** an apple on a stick dipped into liquid candy that hardens as it cools until it resembles lollipop candy. Kind of like a caramel apple except with lollipop candy coating – DELICIOUS. One of my favorites :P

(A poem from)

**Rikki-Tikki-Tavi**

**(From The Jungle Book)**

**BY RUDYARD KIPLING**

**At the hole where he went in  
Red-Eye called to Wrinkle-Skin.  
Hear what little Red-Eye saith:  
"Nag, come up and dance with death!"**

**Eye to eye and head to head,  
(Keep the measure, Nag.)  
This shall end when one is dead;  
(At thy pleasure, Nag.)  
Turn for turn and twist for twist –  
(Run and hide thee, Nag.)  
Hah! The hooded Death has missed!  
(Woe betide thee, Nag!)**


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters in any way. sniffle Don't we all wish we did? Oh well, anyway, I also don't own Mos Burger nor do I have any claim to MasterCard slogans. Please don't sue me – that would just be sad. (O-o)

**Chapter 8: Kissed by the Moon God**

I'd been kissed before. Of course. I was innocent but not _that_ innocent. Well, to be _completely_ honest, there was only one time where I'd been a willing participant but surely that was beside the point. I mean, a kiss is a kiss whether it was expected or not. Of course kisses from creepy walking globs of sludge don't count as real kisses. No, I'm talking about the two, full on the mouth, _kisses_ I'd experienced in my lifetime. Yeah, two. No, I'm not _innocent - _phu!

My first kiss had been my first date back in high school… It'd been pleasant enough and I discovered, despite how nervous I'd been, that I rather liked this kissing business. Of course, finding out the next day that the boy was a complete player who thought he was Don Juan or _something_ ended all ideas of a repeat meeting of the lips. In fact it ended with his lips meeting a new, totally unfamiliar part of my anatomy: my fist.

My second kiss had been the "surprise attack kiss" that had left me quite breathless. It happened in college when I went on a date with Kouga, the ridiculously stubborn wolf that had refused to leave me be in college. The date had been a last ditch effort of desperation to get him to leave me _alone_. How stupid is that? But hey, when you're desperate you tend to grab at any straw available… Either way, stupid or not, I'd finally agreed to the pleas of the wolf and said that I would go with him on _one_ date. Well, looking back on it now I had to wonder if my stressing of that word "one" had led him to double his efforts to win me over, and had been the force behind that passionate kiss that he stole from me when he brought me back to the apartment that I shared with Sango near campus. It was either that _or_ he'd wanted to do it for a long time anyway. Maybe a mixture of both…

It hadn't been unpleasant, no; I didn't hate him or anything. We just weren't _right_, you know, I didn't get that spark, or _whatever_ it is that you're supposed to get when you kiss someone. You know, the stuff that you read about in books or see in the movies, that force that makes your legs turn to jelly and your head get all fuzzy. Of course, I'd never experienced that myself, but I refused to believe that it was all just a big lie crafted by the media industry and by the thousands of romance novels out there. It had to be true, I was sure, and so while his kiss had not been unpleasant and he wasn't a bad guy per say, it did nothing for me in the end and did nothing to change my feelings for him. It must have been obvious in my eyes even though I was panting, due to the sudden inability to draw oxygen in through my mouth, because he looked completely crushed. For about a grand total of a split second, but then he'd pulled away with the proclamation of, "Someday you'll come to care for me the same way I care foe you, my dear Kagome." Dogged, tenacious, happy-go-lucky wolf. It had taken months for me to convince him that there was never going to be a relationship between us but now, even now after so much time had passed, he would still call me on occasion to see if I was willing to do something with him, go to a movie or such. I had the sinking suspicion that he was always calling to see if I had been left broken hearted by someone so that he could _swoop_ in and rescue me. Ha! I'd have to be in a relationship first for him to even have the chance to try.

This of course brings me to the trigger of my ramblings. The big, life changing explosive force that was hitting me, tearing my thoughts in to nothing but a pile of rags, all under the never changing light of the moon. Surely something that made you feel like you were on fire, like you couldn't be confined to the restraints of your skin that had suddenly grown too tight, like there was nothing in the world but this _sensation_ that couldn't be **_possible_**. Surely this force that was driving me to distraction, stealing my breath, controlling my thoughts… Surely it couldn't be labeled simply as: a kiss.

No. This wasn't just a kiss… This was pure, sizzling _power_ running, racing through me, through the air around us in a dizzying dance of sensation and sensuality that could only come from a god.

The moon god.

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In the place of no return Time had slowed and I was left in peace to revel in the sensations of the goddess, the feel of her in my arms as her lips moved so innocently, yet so seductively, against mine. That is until two familiar scents on the wind and the sound of a giggle from nearby broke the spell of the night and sent time speeding forward like a jet on a crash-collision course with a wall.

There's nothing like realizing your daughter and your younger brother have caught you kissing to destroy the mood. No matter how heady or electrifying that mood may be. And it was destroyed, shattered like glass into a thousand pieces of shock, embarrassment, and nervous tension under the moonlight. _And this was why I said I wasn't going to do something I would regret tonight and what did I do? I did it. Smart,_ a sarcastic voice was rambling in my head as I tried, desperately, to collect myself and come back to a semblance of sanity. But even though we were no longer touching physically, thanks once again to the shattering of our solitude, and she was several feet away with her cheeks stained a red so bright that it seemed to glow like a neon light – despite that, the dizzying, mind-numbing effect from the encounter had yet to fade. Struggling frantically against the consequence of our actions I could do nothing but stare at the place where the two culprits stood with the most infuriating, impish grins splitting their faces.

Inuyasha, like a dear, sweet, younger brother, however, took it upon himself to clear my head completely by opening his big mouth, "Glad to you see you two were having _such_ a good **_talk_** about something _important_."

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I'd never been so embarrassed in my entire life. I mean this was worse than… than… than those "going to school and realizing your clothes have evaporated" dreams come to life – way worse! One hundred percent, air deserting your lungs, in your face, cheeks as red as a cherry, heart stopping, rolling in your gut, pure _embarrassment_.

Needless to say I nearly did a combination of things that would've only made the situation worse. A) I nearly fainted, B) I nearly choked on my own tongue, and C) I nearly had the pleasure of having all the food from the evening come back up to say 'hi'. And the even more impression fact is that I somehow managed to _nearly_ do all three things at once. Somehow, by some miracle I managed to refrain from making things more complicated, but even now after a day and a half since the incident I was still reeling.

I'd also been doing a lot of thinking since "the incident" as I liked to label it. There were several conclusions that my poor, overly stressed and mortified mind had drawn since that time. First, I'd decided that Sesshoumaru was most definitely unlike anything and anyone I'd _ever_ met and that the man surpassed all the hype about kisses more than I'd ever thought possible. Second, despite the fact that "the incident" had left me helplessly tortured and drooling over the man I was never the girl to swoon and I wasn't going to start now… Despite how damn hard it was to think for more than two seconds without my thoughts running back to that wondrous moment under the moo- _Damn it all, why do I have to be such a romantic_?_ Quit getting all warm and fuzzy about this! Think with a detached analytical mind! Right._

Third, just because he had…brought his heavenly lips to mine…_Analytical, Kagome, analytical! – _didn't necessarily mean that he felt anything _serious_ for me. Four, I wasn't going to roll over and play the drooling, begging female just because of a… a… meeting of the lips! Five, unless the man really wanted a relationship there would be no begging from me for a repeat tongue tango – no matter how much I wanted to _damn it_. Six, even if he wanted to get into a _relationship_ I wouldn't be starting one just because of some seriously seductive lip contact… with the world's most attractive, smart, funny, charming, and kind man. _Oh boy._ Ok so yes, I was falling for the man and I wanted to be in a relationship with him. There was no question about it. I **wanted** to beg for seconds, beg for a moment where I could be torn apart like that again and feel – _Ahem_! I'm getting off subject. The point is there was something key that I wanted to have before I would let myself turn into a blubbering addict. _Who says you aren't already? Urg._ Believe me, the physical… reaction… we had didn't leave anything lacking, far from it; but I wanted the emotional part that would make the physical part of the relationship all the more enjoyable and meaningful. Call me old-fashioned. I liked him. A lot. Too much in fact. But I needed a well-rounded relationship. I'd always thought that if I had a relationship I wanted it to be built on a solid foundation…and in my opinion lip fun, as heavenly as it was with a particular white-haired male, was a little too shaky for my tastes – for the sake of protecting my heart. And last but certainly not least, _seven_, which pertains to the idea of protecting my heart. Seven, I didn't want to have my heart broken and the way I was starting to feel for him, and the way he had made me feel with that kiss scared me to death.

Yes, I know. I'd already jumped beyond the Event Horizon, there was no going back so to speak, but damn it if I wasn't going to try really hard to keep my heart from getting ripped to pieces.

_Oh but I bet it would be worth it,_ a treacherous voice whispered in my mind as I sat on the park bench, running my fingers through Ran's silky, downy fur. _I've never had my heart broken before and I'd like to keep it that way,_ I growled. _Besides I don't even know if he's interested in 'making it worth it' so I'm just not even going to go there. Oh good grief, I'm arguing with myself. This is so sad, I think I'm getting dumber by the minute trying to sort all of this out._

_Yes, well, there's an easy way to find out, dimwit,_ the voice chimed sweetly. _And if you're so convinced that you need something other than his kisses to keep you completely **satisfied** – idiot – then talk to him and **build** your relationship for crying out loud._

"Well excuse me," I snapped out loud, tired of my mental sparring. With myself…_oh brother._

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I didn't know how to approach her now. The time from when we'd been interrupted and Inuyasha had opened his idiotic mouth until we'd reached the station and said our "goodbyes", had been nothing but a woozy, spinning whirl of embarrassment and blushing on our parts and generous portions of smirking and snickering on theirs. I've repressed most of the memory for the sake of my sanity.

The morning after I'd felt like I should contact her but found myself unable. Today, the second day, I wasn't any braver. I was falling for the girl, wholly, completely, utterly head-over-heels. Cliché I know, but when it came to how I felt about her it was fitting; the little angel had set my world to spinning and I found myself helpless to stop it.

Reeling with my feelings for her did not make me a complete, bumbling fool to love's will, however, and I wasn't going to rush head-long into a broken heart for a second time. In other aspects of my life I was extremely hardheaded and stubborn and wouldn't take 'no' for an answer, but when it came to my scarred heart, well, that was one exception to the rule. There would be no reruns of the episode, "And Then She Smashed My Heart Into A Million Pieces While She Stabbed Me In The Back".

Even if my heart was gnashing at the bit, rearing to go and dying to pull her into my arms again – the place that the treacherous organ had decided she belonged.

The kiss had clarified several things: I craved this women in a powerful way, my feelings for her were strong and not wholly physical, and I wanted to believe that she was the one; wanted to build a relationship with her that could stand against the difficulties brought by time. I wanted to believe that she was the one who would give me something that no one but your life partner could give. This was all wishful thinking of course, but nonetheless, it was what I realized when I'd held her in the circle of my arms, her petite form pressed against mine; I never wanted to let her go.

And so now I was left with this disastrous yearning to start a relationship with the woman, to get to know her intimately, to see if she was the one I could live out my days with. Which was all good and well, nothing embarrassing about that. It was just that there was this little problem. Or possibly a big problem. I had stepped over the boundaries that I'd set up for myself that would've given me a chance to get to know _her,_ not just her body but _her_, when I'd claimed her lips. I hadn't waited to see if she cared about me in the same way. I'd tasted her before I knew what she wanted from me and now, even though her reaction to the kiss made it clear that she at least returned my attraction, I was left to wonder if Kagome would want me for more than that. If she would be willing to take the time that my crippled heart would need…

Never mind the fact that it was more than eager to leap at love, my head was too smart for that and time was what the doctor ordered. The question was, though, did I have time now that I'd taken something that couldn't be returned?

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"So, Uncle Inuyasha," I drawled as I grinned up at my beloved Uncle while we were walking in the park two days after my father's momentous _activity_. "I was thinking…"

He grinned wolfishly after he licked his ice cream cone, "And what have you been thinking about Rin?"

"Well," I smirked, "school is going to be starting again pretty soon now."

"Oh that's right," he smiled. "When is that again?"

"In exactly two weeks," I giggled. "So I was thinking… I know Dad seems to be pretty nervous about getting in contact with Teacher now…"

"And that just won't do," Inuyasha chuckled impishly.

"No, it won't. And Higurashi-sensei was so embarrassed on Saturday that I thought she was going to catch on fire so I doubt she'll be brave enough to make the first move."

"I don't know if she was about to catch on fire because of her embarr –" he started chuckling in a lecherous way that reminded of me of Mr. Miroku before he cut himself short, wincing and coughing roughly. "Um, anyway, so yes. I don't think she will either. I think they'll just sit around brooding and being too embarrassed to do anything. Ahem."

I rolled my eyes at my Uncle before I allowed myself to smile again, "So, I suggest that we do something to fix it. This Wednesday Teacher's holding a special gardening volunteer service at the local park and I'd like to get Dad to go."

"But what if he avoids her?" he asked, eyebrow arching in curiosity.

"He probably will, knowing the stubborn dummy, at least as much as is allowed while still being polite. But if we can just get them to relax around each other a little bit I'm sure their attraction will take care of the rest. And if it doesn't cure them completely I say that once school starts we come up with a reason for Higurashi-sensei to come to my house after school," I grinned gleefully with the revealing of my 'evil plan'.

Inuyasha just stared at me in horror for a moment before he said in a dull voice, "Rin."

"Yes?" I asked, confused.

"You are far too conniving. Remind me to never get on your bad side," he murmured as he continued to stare at me in mock horror.

"Why thank you," I laughed and he finally broke into a smile.

"Your welcome. Well, I think it sounds brilliant so what can I do?" he asked, his grin growing more mischievous by the second.

"Well, I think I can take care of the gardening project, but if I need to get over to the house the first week of school I'll need your help with that," I grinned in giddy anticipation.

"I'm at your service," he gave a mock bow, grinning devilishly before a cry sprang from his lips as his melting scoop of ice cream took a sky-dive towards the grass.

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"Anyway Mr. Taisho we've made significant headway in our case against your ex-wife. Apparently Rin's last testimony concerning your ex-wife's behavior regarding her new lover and the tape recorder that the girl used have done quite a lot to sway the judge's opinion. In fact I'm quite -" I stopped mid-sentence when I realized that Sesshoumaru was staring distractedly out the window… **again**. Coughing loudly to get his attention I nearly had to resist the urge to smirk at the bewildered look on his face.

"Yes, Sagai-san? Sorry," he mumbled, his eyes already beginning to grow distracted again.

"Mr. Taisho you seem… distracted… today. Is there something wrong? I thought you'd be glad to hear the good news," I let my words trail off quietly as I watched him intently, trying to read his expression and his movements. I mean, I was a lawyer after all; I needed the ability to read people for job as much as a cop did.

He only sighed, a look of aggravation flashing across his eyes before he forced himself to smile, "I'm sorry, I am a bit distracted. Don't mind me. Believe me, I'm _incredibly_ glad that the case looks like it's going well. I really am grateful that you agreed to work on a non-business related case."

I smiled a small smile and shrugged in nonchalance, "Well, it certainly wasn't something I could refuse. Besides, I needed a change from the normal monotony of business deals and such. That and I don't like the idea of that child being left in the lurch either."

He smiled; a warm smile that reached his eyes, the smile that was always related to her, the little prodigy. "Thank you, now you were saying?"

"Well, as I was saying due to the new information that we've been able to bring to court the judge seems to be going in our favor. I'm getting a very good feeling that this next date will be quite different from the others," I grinned wolfishly, the grin of a challenge about to be overcome. I loved that about fighting in the courtroom, it made my blood warm in anticipation of winning. Of course I didn't ever let that show on the outside while I was in court. But here, in my office I couldn't resist the urge to slip a little and let myself grin in expectation.

"So did you ask Rin to take a tape recorder with her before her last trip to her mother's?" he asked, tilting his head in a pondering way.

I blinked in surprise before I managed to find my voice, "No, I – I thought you told her to…"

"No, I didn't," he murmured, golden eyes locking with mine in mild consternation.

"That girl is far too sharp," I blurted before I could stop myself.

"You have no idea," he laughed. "No idea."

"Well if she didn't get the idea and tape recorder from you then how did she…?" I asked, letting the question hang in the air.

"I'm guessing that I may have to take back my death threat on Inuyasha," he muttered, sounding extremely disappointed.

"Inuyasha? Really?" I asked dubiously. "That idio-" I cut myself short before I breeched the boundaries of the manners that were required in business. "Your little brother?" I asked quickly as I tried not to wince at my slip-up. Sesshoumaru's eyebrow just twitched as I continued, "Forgive me, but I didn't think he was capable -"

"Once again, Sagai-san: you have no idea, no idea at all," he interrupted with a slight twitching of the lips.

"I guess so, Mr. Taisho," I chuckled as I shuffled my papers back into my folder and with all the necessary formalities excused myself from his office.

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Rin's plan went better than it could have and worse than it could have all at the same time. According to her they'd both reeked with near panic at the sight of each other, growing stiff as boards before the rules of politeness called them both into play and got them to speak with each other.

I almost didn't believe her when she told me the next day while we went to a movie – an excuse to get away from Sesshoumaru so we could continue our scheming. I mean, my brother panicking and being intimidated at the sight of anyone, let alone a woman? I thought I'd never live to see the day. _And boy am I glad I did,_ I smirked as I drove my car skillfully through the crowded streets of downtown Tokyo on my way to work later that week.

After that the two fated lovebirds – that's what Rin and I had deemed them after we caught them kissing – had used the excuse of the gardening project and the work involved to avoid speaking as much as possible. So, in conclusion the plan went better than it could have because they could have, one or both, run away in mortification – probably screaming or such – when they came face to face at the project. And it went worse then it could have because they could have been all…well… you know! Had a repeat of Saturday night or at least _something_ leaning towards romantic.

So now, we were moving into the stage of working out the finely tuned details concerning our next plan of attack: "Operation Emergency Baby Sitter" part Two of "Operation Get Over It And Get Together Already."

Ok, so yeah, maybe we're having too much fun with this…

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"Kags, I have a question for you dear," I mumbled as I picked up my coke from the booth we were occupying at Mos Burger.

Looking up from her last bite of her classic Mos Burger Kagome chewed quickly and finally managed to get out a muffled, "Mhmph?"

_Ah, conversations over lunch,_ I chuckled. "It's crazy to be getting super serious about someone after only a short period of being together, right? I mean I have a friend that's doing that and wouldn't you say that's just weird?"

She swallowed with a loud gulp before she took a drink of her melon soda and grinned wickedly. "Oh, you couldn't be talking about yourself and your feelings about Sango now could you?" she asked, her voice dripping in playful sarcasm.

"It's just a theoretical question concerning my friend," I grumped trying desperately to keep the blush at bay that was so near the surface. _Damned blushes._

"Sure it is," she smirked in a knowing way that made me want to take the burger and slam into her face and run away before she could continue teasing me over such a sensitive subject. A mental image of her chasing me with tomato sauce and little chopped onions dripping down her face and screaming like a banshee before she tackled me and beat me senseless with her tray made me hesitate. _No, better not risk it, _I thought as I watched her nervously. Kagome always seemed so gentle and sweet but I knew from personal experience that if you pushed the right button she could explode and turn quite violent. The logical part of my mind tells me that covering her in tomato sauce and burger would definitely be an action that pushed one of those buttons.

Well there you have it. I just have to suffer her teasing. _For now,_ I thought mischievously, gleefully awaiting the moment when I could pounce and tease her about a certain handsome man with white hair. _Ahaha!_

"Well, what do you think?" I finally asked, dragging myself forcefully from my musings.

"Well, I would say that if the relationship was really incredible and I mean _really_ something special then I wouldn't think there was anything weird about," she shrugged and took another bite of her burger chewing slowly while she thought. "In the case of you and Sango, and not your _friend,_" she smirked, "you two have been friends and have known each other for years _and_ you've liked each other for a long time. In my opinion you should've started dating forever ago and should've at least been engaged by now."

_Ok my cheeks are officially red, I know it. My go- that was unexpectedly blunt. Damn…_ I struggled to get my mouth working again but my extreme embarrassment proved crippling. I settled for taking a healthy draught on my coke but her next words made me choke, the beverage spraying out of my mouth and even coming out of my nose.

As I coughed and spluttered and groaned about the burning in my poor nose I missed the look Kagome was shooting me. However a feeling of being fried like an egg on a skillet made me look up and I found Kagome's white shirt covered with a splattering of coke. Instead of chewing me out though, she just crossed her arms over her chest and repeated herself, "I said, 'So are you thinking of getting a ring soon?' Good grief Miroku it's not like I was asking you something scandalous like, 'What's you sex fantasy?'" Catching the wicked mischief in my eyes at that statement she just glared harder, "Don't even answer that perv."

"Hey, you're the one who said it," I smirked, imitating her posture and crossing my arms over my chest. Shooting her a cocky look I continued to smirk, "And what's got you thinking dirty things like that Kagome?"

"I'm not thinking dirty things Roku," she growled in warning, growing suspicious of where I was going with my line of questioning.

"Oh but here you're talking about 'sex fantasies'," I chuckled.

"Only because I was trying to think of a question that would actually merit you choking and spraying your pop all over me," she grumbled, eyebrow twitching in her annoyance. _Oh, too much fun. Too easy._

"Oh but I think your agitation is because you're bluffing about not having dirty thoughts," I declared haughtily. "You can't keep your mind off of that mind-blowing kiss under the stars after all."

Oh, her reaction was priceless. We're talking MasterCard Priceless here folks. One Mos Burger: 283¥. One coke: 210¥. Shocking and embarrassing your friend so badly that they fall backwards in their chair in the middle of a restaurant, and are left there twitching with their brain neurons firing blanks while the burger that they've dropped on their face is leaving a pulpy tomato and onion trail mixed with a nice helping of mustard and mayonnaise on it's way to the floor?

**_Priceless_**.

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Miroku's peals of laughter and the sensation of warm, slimy tomato sauce running down the side of my face finally brought me back to my senses, but I continued to lay their a moment longer jumping between royally pissed and dumbfounded and not being able to pick which one was most appropriate. I decided on grumpily dumbfounded just as a clerk came running over with a large damp cloth to help me clean myself up. _This is so not my day. I mean, first I get coke sprayed all over me – what does he think he is a sprinkler? And **then** I get ten years of my life shocked out of me, fall backwards in the middle of a restaurant, **and** drop my burger on my face. Could it get any worse? Oh right, it's me we're talking about – it'll definitely get worse. Why me you rotten fates? _ I growled while I glared up at the ceiling after I'd righted myself and the clerk had helped me wipe all of the tomato sauce and other condiments off of my face. I didn't care if they could see me glaring or not, I was going to glare damnnit!

Miroku's voice cut my violent glare suddenly when he asked, still snickering mind you, "Are you okay Kags?"

"Glad to you see you're worried," I growled, rolling my eyes. "Try to actually _hide_ the amusement in your voice next time you try to give off the appearance of truly caring."

He just laughed. _Ooh, watch it Miroku! Apparently you've forgotten whom you're dealing with._

"How the hell did _you_ find out about that anyway?" I snapped knowing that my reaction of obvious shock had made it impossible to deny the accusation.

"Hm, a little birdie on the wind," he murmured dreamily, looking out the window.

"Right, whatever. There're two people that know about it and since you don't know Inuyasha as far as I know, I'm guessing Rin's the culprit," I sighed, running a hand through my mussed up hair. _I wanna go home and take a shower. Ungh._

"Who says I don't?" he laughed. "I work in entertainment after all and the man likes to have fun," he shrugged and added with a grin, "but I'm not going to tell you which birdie told me. Sorry."

"Sure, sure. Well let me just set you straight Miroku. It was a kiss. Nothing more. I'm not having dirty thoughts about him," I lied through my scowl, one that _dared_ him to call me on it.

Picking up several napkins he spread them out in his hands like cards and looked at them closely before looking back at me and shouting with an idiotic grin, "Bullshit!" _Well now that we have everyone's attention again,_ I sighed.

"Miroku," I grumbled, "I'm serious. Just because we kissed doesn't mean that he's interested in a relationship with me. I'm not going to get my hopes up ok? So can we just drop this," I sighed again, dropping my chin into my hand, my elbow propped on the table.

His grin immediately fell away and he grew serious, watching me for a few moments before he spoke, "I know you're afraid that maybe he just wanted to kiss you but… I don't think he's like that Kagome. He hasn't just been looking at you like a piece of meat for the past couple of months. In fact he's never looked at you like a piece of meat. I mean for crying out the loud the guys been trying to build a relationship with you since he met you."

"Yeah, but-"

He leveled a scolding look on me and said, "You don't actually think he's the type of guy that would take you to restaurants and do things with you, give you a massive gift just to get physical with you, do you? That's more along the lines of something I would expect Naraku to do."

I couldn't help but shiver at the mention of the creep and Miroku chuckled, "Yeah, good reaction Kags. But the point is there's no need to hide from Sesshoumaru because of that kiss. I mean for crying out loud you called Sango and I dense."

"Hey now, totally not the same," I laughed, reaching across the table and smacking him on the head, "It's like saying a Chihuahua and a Great Dane are the same size. Need I remind you that you two were circling each other for _years_? I only met the guy in April and we haven't really been together a _whole_ lot. You and Sango were together almost everyday for _years_ before you two even kissed – which may I remind you is thanks to some serious pushing on _my_ part, thank you very much!" I smirked and added with a sly spark in my eyes, "So about that ring. When are you gonna buy it?"

_Ah, _I sighed happily, _Wide-eyed, red-cheeked spluttering – it's like music to my ears!_

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It was the first week of school, Thursday, two weeks and five days since they'd kissed. Yes. I **had** been counting. That's what scheming people do. We keep track of all the little things even though it makes us look obsessed. Why? Because it's our job, and somebody's got to do it.

Today was also the day where Uncle and I would put part Two of our plan into action. I watched our prey with the eyes of a hunter while she stood at the blackboard at the front of the room and explained the current lesson in our history books. She caught me staring at her and smiled, assuming I was concentrating on what she was saying.

History, needless to say, was far from my mind. The one thing on my mind was "The Plan". Not just the one that I'd shared with Uncle Inuyasha but the much larger, complex plan that was beginning to form in my mind in the hopes of reaching the goal that I wanted more than anything. I wondered what Higurashi-sensei would say if she knew what my deepest wish was? The one that I spoke of only to the heavens at night when the stars winked from their frigid palace.

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Inuyasha had been lecturing me all day on needing to "get over my embarrassment because it was just embarrassing him with its wimpy-ness." After much growling and glaring we'd unfortunately attracted the attention of our interfering father who's a completely hopeless romantic, and did I mention interfering? It was just the touch I'd needed to make my mild headache bloom into the obnoxious type, the one where you feel like someone's inside your skull and beating against it with pick axes and hammers and paying particular attention to the area around your eyes. _Dirty little bastar-_.

_Ahem. Back to subject._ My father, becoming involved in the time it took for him to suck in one lung full of air had bellowed, loud enough for all of the nearby employees to hear, "So, there **is** a girl! I knew it! And you finally kissed? Well, my boy, that's great but what the hell are you doing avoiding the girl now? Are you stupid?"

_Gee, thanks Dad. I can just see the front-page tabloid headlines now, "The Ice Prince – A Closet Player! The shocking truth about Sesshoumaru Taisho that no one suspected…REVEALED!!!"_

When I'd opened my mouth to give him the same reasoning I'd already given Inuyasha about my uncertainty regarding her feelings toward me he held up an authoritative hand and scowled, "I've heard. Your reasoning is ridiculous." He rolled his eyes, "For such a bright boy you have a lot to learn when it comes to the heart. What if she feels the same way you do?"

"And what if she doesn't," I'd countered, glaring at him as rebelliously as I could manage without the risk of getting through into the wall.

He'd just laughed then and crossed his arms over his broad chest, gold eyes flashing, "Do you trust her so little? This woman that you've let capture your heart?" And with that he turned and retreated back into his office, a smug smile on his face.

And when he put it like that – _Damn._ There was no arguing with it, much to my chagrin. So needless to say, I couldn't have been more relieved that it was time for Inuyasha to go pick up Rin and his time to gloat would be cut short. _Standing there with that smug look on his face. I'd like to wipe it off – in a loving, brotherly manner of course. Only a **little** bit of acid, that wouldn't hurt him too much, right?_

"

"

"

Rin came back into the room a few minutes after the last bell rang with a disgruntled look on her face and I immediately stopped messing with the stuff on my desk and asked, "What's wrong hunny?"

"Oh," she sighed, "Uncle Inuyasha got caught in an unexpected meeting so he won't be able to pick me up for quite a while." She shrugged before she continued, "It happens sometimes but I'm worried about Mai being left alone for a long time. I told him I'd be back as soon as school was over today so I don't want him to worry or get stressed out but… Well it can't be helped." She sighed, "Hopefully he'll be ok… But anyway, I was wondering if I could wait here with you for a while, at least until you finishing cleaning up?"

I frowned for a moment, the wheels in my head clunking into a stuttering whirl before I landed on the solution. Smiling brightly I shoved the remaining folders into my bag and strode over to the little girl who was still standing just inside the doorway. "I have an even better idea," I crouched down in front of her, ruffling her hair playfully. "I'll take you home. We can go by train to the closest station and then we'll hop in a taxi the rest of the way – how's that sound? We wouldn't want Mai to be worried, now would we?" I winked before I stood up and was happy to see that Rin's grey mood had transformed into her typical brilliant sunshine. _She's just too cute… I wish she was my kid,_ I thought dreamily before I realized what some might think if they heard that comment and I couldn't stop the blush that stained my cheeks.

I turned away from Rin's curious look, took hold of her hand and marched us out the door with a cheerful, "Alright! To the station!"

When we reached the mansion that Rin called home, sure enough, her little companion was looking out the front window – well one of the many front windows – his long, pink tongue lolling happily out to the side before he barked merrily in greeting. _So cute!_

Rin opened the door with a few well-placed punches on a small security panel to the left and with joyous noise we were ushered into the house by the ever-happy Corgi. "Thanks so much for bringing me home Teacher," she smiled up at me from her current position, crouched down low with her arms wrapped firmly around Mai's plump little form.

_Cute! _I thought intelligently. _My go- I sound like one of those bumbling, boy crazy teenage girls who's lexicon consists mainly of words like, "Cute", "Hot," "Sexy", and "OMG!" It's all that **man's** fault, I'm sure!_ I resisted the urge to groan and instead said with a smile, "No problem Rin, I was glad to do it!"

"Well, I hope that I didn't take up too much of your time, but now that I'm home you don't need to worry about me – I'll be fine here by myself," she smiled, picking the ball of fur and lard up like he weighed nothing – which I knew from personal experience was _not_ true – and started walking towards the open area of her house that consisted of the massive living room, dining room, and kitchen.

Frowning slightly I followed her, "Like I said, I was glad to it, hun. But I don't feel right just leaving you here by yourself… We need to call your Uncle first and let him know that I brought you home and then I'll let him know that I'll stay here till he gets done. Deal?" I finished with a smile as she turned around to face me, eyebrows pulled down sharply as she chewed on the idea.

Finally with a nod she started hesitantly, "As long as you're sure it's not too mu-"

"It's not," I cut her off with a chuckle, "It'll be fun! We'll have a girl's afternoon, ok? How about you give me your his cell's email and I'll send him a message, and while I do that why don't you pick out a movie you want to watch." At her blinding smile that I took to be a sign of acceptance I couldn't help but smile just as brightly before I said, "All right, let me get my cell out."

An hour and a half later we'd finished watching Lilo and Stitch, Rin was literally bouncing up and down with energy that left we wondering if she'd gotten her hands on some caffeine when I hadn't been looking, and Inuyasha had yet to make an appearance. It was five o'clock though and so I decided that since I was there and Rin was feeling so energetic that I would get to work and put that energy of hers to some good use too. With a smile I stood up from the couch, stretching lazily while I watched Rin who was jumping up and down on the couch and managing to reach unnatural levels of height. I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at that. I mean I'd _never_ gotten that high when I'd jumped on the couch as a kid. _Lucky little girl,_ I thought with a chuckle, _she's actually managing to do what I **tried** to do._

"Rin," I laughed, breaking her concentration and winced as she barely avoided landing on Mai who was calmly sitting, being bounced about on the couch as if it was a normal, everyday occurrence to be jostled in a false earthquake caused by none other than the irresistibly adorable child.

She straightened from the near squashing of her faithful companion and looked at me with her bright, hyper eyes, "Yes, Higurashi-sensei?"

I laughed, "Call me Kagome, Rin. I'm at your house so you don't need to worry about using the title. It's weird," I wrinkled my nose to show just what I thought of the stuffy formality.

She giggled and said, "All right Kagome. But don't worry, I'll remember to call you Higurashi-sensei at the school!"

"Probably a good idea," I laughed. "Now, it's five so I was thinking we should make dinner – you could surprise everybody when they get back."

"Oh! That sounds fun," she smiled brightly and began jumping up and down again and I couldn't help shake my head at the dog that still refused to move. Mai looked at me with a bland expression that said, 'What?' and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Ok, then why don't you show me what all you have in that big kitchen of yours and I'll see what I can rummage up," I caught her on her way back down to earth with an 'oof!' and then set her down gently on the floor. Like a bullet she took off for the kitchen and I decided that the girl definitely had to have gotten into _something_ while I wasn't looking. I'd never seen her this hyper in class.

"

"

"

Inuyasha had only been gone for a mere five minutes before he strolled back into the office frowning slightly. "What in the world are you doing back here? Forget something?" I smirked at his obviously sour mood.

"No," he grumbled. "Got a couple important meetings switched on me. I'll be stuck here for a couple more hours so I can't go pick up Rin."

"Well, then wha-"

He waved a dismissive hand at me while he rummaged through some of the files in his desk drawer, "It's already taken care of, don't worry."

"Alright," I laughed as he stalked out of the room, obviously disgruntled about being stuck in the office for a few more hours. I hadn't really thought anything of it at the time; after all with both of us working at the company meetings got juggled all the time and it wasn't the first time someone else had to take Rin home, namely Jaken, so I'd just assumed that Inuyasha had "taken care" of it like he always did.

I didn't even think much of it when my father came in after less than two hours and told me to go ahead and go home early. It'd been a slow day on my end of things and there really was no point in having me stick around. I was ahead on my figures and my different business deals from working so much last month so I was more than happy to have the chance to go home early and spend the rest of the night with Rin.

Needless to say, because I hadn't thought much of anything that Inuyasha or my father had done I wasn't prepared for what greeted me when I got home.

"

"

"

I walked into my house, setting my briefcase down by the door and pulling off my suit jacket as I walked into the living area, smiling at the thought of doing something fun with Rin tonight. When Rin had still not cried out, "Welcome home!" in her cheerful voice I was a little puzzled and turned to face the open room. That was when something white in the kitchen caught my eyes and I turned to look at it and see exactly what it was. And it inspired in me a reaction that few people ever see.

My jaw dropping.

My kitchen looked a war zone that had suffered from some great blast. And standing there in the middle of the destruction was none other than my daughter, her dog, and Kagome, all covered from head to toe in the white powder that covered the room.

"

"

"

I was impressed by Sesshoumaru's kitchen. Extremely. I mean, it's not everyday that you find a single man who has a big kitchen and actually has it stocked.

"Does your dad have a maid or someone cook for you?" I asked curiously, thinking that was a logical explanation. He was a rich man after all, it's not like he couldn't afford it and it would explain why he had _everything_ in the kitchen.

Rin looked up at me and laughed as she pulled a stool over to the black countertop, "No, we don't have a maid. Why?"

"Well," I started thoughtfully as I began setting the bowls out for our next project: cookies! "I just guess I'm surprised that your Dad seems to have so much stuff for cooking."

"Oh," she grinned, "I guess Uncle Inuysahsa did tell me once that Dad's love of cooking is…how did he put it? Oh right, 'Not on the top ten list of things most guys like to do for fun'." She snorted as she handed me the chocolate chips and baking soda.

"So he likes cooking, huh? I never would've guessed," I smiled a smile that bordered on affectionate before I could stop myself.

"Yeah, anytime he gets off early enough he and I'll cook dinner together. When he cooks it's like I can see all the stress from work just roll off his shoulders," she smiled as she jumped off the stool and went to the fridge, flinging the door open a little too enthusiastically – yes, she was still extremely energetic, bless her – and retrieving several eggs. Jogging over and climbing back onto the stool she cracked them open expertly with one hand and dropped them into the bowl for the liquid mixture. _Impressive._

Handing her the egg whip I smiled, "Yeah, my mom was the same way. Cooking was a great way to relax for her and she taught me to appreciate it too." Mixing the dry ingredients I asked curiously, "Do your Grandparents like to cook too?"

She snorted and shook her head, "Grandpa likes to cook on the grill. That's it." She laughed at some memory or something and her hand slipped while she stirred and a glob of eggy-liquid slime shot out and hit me square in the face, pulling a yelp of surprise out of me before I could stop myself.

Turning I found her laughing at me, eyes wide, a trembling finger pointing at the slime as it dripped and crawled down my face. "Eew," I whined, reaching a hand up to wipe off the sticky, nasty substance. Rin's laughter just doubled and I decided getting even a little wouldn't hurt. _I mean, I am after all a responsible adult and in someone else's home – I would never let myself get carried away._

**Right**.

Will I ever learn?

Two minutes later the kitchen was covered in flour – fortunately Rin had decided against flinging the egg mixture about – _good girl_ – and we weren't stopping any time soon. Throwing handfuls of flour at each from the large bag that we'd opened when we started making our batch of cookies we ran about the kitchen, screaming and squealing, carried away by our Flour Fight.

"Take that," Rin squealed excitedly as she flung a handful at me with considerable force that hit me square in the chest, splattering all over my black silk, button-up blouse. _Yeah,** so** not being responsible._

Looking down at the white "wound" on my shirt I let out a giddy scream and grabbed another handful jumping forward as fast I could and dropping it on her head. Unfortunately playing with a youkai child was dangerous and I found a handful of flour exploding on my face the minute I'd gotten her. Spluttering I laughed as she tore away from me, yelling after her, "Oh you're in for it now cutie!"

We continued the game, getting more and more covered in flour and making an even greater mess of the kitchen while we did. It probably would've continued until we ran out of flour except that somehow, in a brief moment of silence I swore that I heard the sound of an engine. Rin hadn't noticed it though so I found myself getting another generous amount of flour right in the face, and was just about to let out a squeal when the sound of the front door's latch clicking made us freeze.

Statue still we waited with bated breath, hoping desperately that we'd imagined the sound but then there he was in all of his glory, eyes searching the living room and dining room curiously. Staying completely silent we hoped he wouldn't notice us somehow – I should have learned years ago that pretending you aren't somewhere doesn't make it so – but then he turned. Time slowed as he turned, my heartbeat thudding in my chest like a racehorse running down the track, and then his eyes landed on the two of us standing in the middle of the kitchen that looked like a blizzard had exploded in it. Covered in flour and looking like two babies of the Abominable Snowman we stared at him like two raccoon dogs caught in the headlights of a car on the highway.

And he stared right back.

_Ungh..._

"

"

"

Staring back at me, their eyes startling dark in their white faces, they just stood there, completely stock-still and I was too surprised to break the stillness and the silence that had stolen over the house. I stared, my mind moving at a blinding rate as it tried to figure out three things: A) Why Kagome was here, B) Why my kitchen was in upheaval, and C) Why Kagome was here. Ok, so that makes two things technically, but that was such a big question it had to be asked twice. Finally I couldn't take the silent staring anymore and said, "I'm home."

_Oh yeah, that was smooth Sesshoumaru, very smooth,_ I grumbled sarcastically as I watched Kagome's eyes grow impossibly wider.

Coughing to clear my throat I turned to Rin and drawled, "So, Rin…"

A smile broke out on her face then and she chirped, "Kagome and I were making cookies Dad! We thought we'd surprise you with dinner!"

I turned to Kagome and found a blush leaking through the white powder covering her face before I focused my attention back on my daughter, "I see."

"Kagome brought me home from school today!" she grinned broadly and I began walking towards the destruction zone that had once been my pristine kitchen. I didn't miss the jump in Kagome's heartbeat.

For a minute my mind flew to the fact that Kagome, the girl I'd been so worried about meeting after our kiss, was now in my house and in my kitchen and I had no route of escape. But then my father's words from earlier crashed into my thoughts and I shrugged off the worries that had been plaguing me for the past two weeks. This of course gave the mischievous and devious part of my mind free rein and I barely kept myself from grinning as I took my first step into the kitchen.

Coming to a stop in front of the two apparitions I looked down at Rin as she spoke again, her voice high and giddy, "We watched Stitch, too!"

"I see," I murmured, glancing emotionlessly at Kagome nearly chuckling as the sound of her breathing and heartbeat hit my ears even harder – the poor girl was terrified. _Well now that just won't do…_

"

"

"

_I am a very, very, very bad girl._

"I see."

_I am a very, very, very stupid girl._

He turned and glanced at me, his dead-pan eyes and face making my heart leap painfully in my ribs as my lungs collapsed, leaving me in an utter state of terror.

_I am a very, very, very dead girl._

Turning casually, with all the slow grace of a predator that knows his prey cannot run, he looked down at the noticeably depleted bag of flour that I'd forgotten I was still holding. He reached a hand toward it and I expected him to take it from me before he exploded – which he would do, I knew. I had, after all, trashed his kitchen.

So you can imagine my surprise when I found a very large handful of flour flying up from the bag and smacking me in the face with a feathery light 'puff' once it made contact. Spluttering I looked up at him in shock, clumps of the flour falling from my face as I stared wide-eyed.

"You," I sputtered idiotically, "Y- you…You!" _Yes, I really need to work on my communication skills under stress,_ I thought dryly as watched the wicked smirk spread across his handsome face. _Oh no I did **not** just think that. The guy just hit me in the face with flour and I'm getting all mushy – No sir!_ And with that I dove my hand into the bag, flinging a large amount of flour at him in irresistible retaliation.

As it splashed on his face and fell all over his once spotless blue business shirt and black business pants I gasped, crashing back to reality at the sight.

I had just hit Sesshoumaru Taisho in the face with flour in his own home.

_Yep, I am **definitely** not bright._

"

"

"

I stood there stock still wondering what type of a reaction I'd been expecting to get from her after I threw flour at her face anyway? Honestly, what else could I have expected other than for her to come back and hit me with everything I'd dished out. And then it was on.

The next few minutes were nothing but a blur of flour as the three of us ran around the spacious kitchen, drawing close, flinging the flour, and then retreating. The two girls' squeals of excitement and peals of laughter left me in a state of euphoria and I couldn't help but join them in their amusement. When there was nothing left in the bag we collapsed on the floor, helpless to the laughter that gripped us, and completely filthy. I was especially filthy because at some point during one of our rounds around the kitchen Kagome had slipped and accidentally bumped into a bowl that had been left open on the counter – a bowl of mixed eggs and vanilla and other liquid ingredients – and I'd had the unfortunate luck of being directly behind her and having it splatter all over the leg of my pants.

Finally getting a grip on my laughter I turned to the two girls and found Rin nestled in Kagome's arms, the two of them curled up, eyes tearing, in their mirth. And as I contented myself to watching them until their laughter subsided to quiet giggles – I knew. I knew that Kagome, the gentle woman who held my daughter and held my heart, was someone that I could trust completely.

I just knew.

"

"

"

"Inuyasha, how were the meetings?" my father's big voice boomed as I entered his office, winking at me while I shut the door. "I hope it wasn't too difficult getting _Jaken_ to take Rin home…"

"Course not," I laughed, a big grin spreading across my face. "It was a piece of cake."

"Good," he grinned back with just as much mischievous force, "Well I sent Sesshoumaru home for the night since he's ahead on everything. Why don't you call it a night too? I'll wrap up everything."

"Alright," I smirked, "Don't have to tell me twice." As I turned with a friendly salute to head back out the door, done letting my father know the plan was going smoothly so far, his voice stopped me.

"And just as a precaution I'd stay away from your brother for a little bit," I didn't miss the amusement that laced his tone.

"Another thing you don't have to tell me twice," I chuckled, turning my head so I could see his face. "He's never liked being tricked or surprised. Unfortunately for him though Rin thrives in making situations that spawn from cunning and more often than not lead to surprises."

He smiled an affectionate smile as the child was brought up, "Actually I think it's rather fortunate for him that she is because she does it out of love."

"Yeah," I snickered as I reached the doorknob and opened the door with a flick of the wrist, "and to keep him from being an idiot."

"

"  
"

After our bout with craziness we'd cleaned up the kitchen enough to continue on our mission because by the time we'd collapsed on the floor in helpless peals of laughter Rin's stomach along with mine were complaining fitfully. The monsters were demanding his rations and would not be denied!

The kitchen taken care of left the three of us as the last mess that needed cleaned up. Rin had left to take a quick shower in one of the many bathrooms and Sesshoumaru had returned with a pile of clothes draped over his arm, giving them to me before I helped myself to the guest shower that I'd used the last time I was there.

When I'd left the shower and found him in the kitchen with Rin working on the food for dinner, despite the lovely scene of father and daughter they presented to my eyes, I found myself having to resist the very strong urge to drool. _Yes._ _Drool._

I had seen the man in stunning business suits. I had seen the man in a swimsuit. _And oh my go- the way those hard muscles had felt under my han- Oh here we go again – down the yellow brick road of perversion that my mind seems to be traveling down a lot lately. What was it about the man that made me so…so…well to put it bluntly? Nearly animalistic. Ok, so that's not a hard question… Especially when I know that he inspires that reaction in thousands of other females... Of course they've never gotten to see him up close in a swimsuit! _I thought haughtily as I felt a prick of annoyance when I remembered all of the girls in college that had put cutout pictures of him all over their walls. I hadn't known who he was at the time and I hadn't cared – specifically because he was a pin-up on countless college girls' walls. I wouldn't fall drooling over a pretty face like the rest of the masses simply to resist not becoming one with the norm! No, not Kagome Higurashi!

_Oh how the mighty have fallen,_ a voice noted smugly as I continued to fight desperately against the urge to salivate. This brings me back to my original topic. The man that was in the kitchen with his darling daughter was driving me to distraction. Like I said, I'd seen him numerous times in gorgeous suits that made him look breath-taking, in a swimsuit that made me nearly faint thinking about it again – I mean I had been in physical contact with the man when he didn't have anything on other than that pair of trunks, how many girls get to say that? – and now?

Well now I was forced to come to the realization once again that no matter what he wore he was gorgeous, handsome, and in short, drool-inspiring in every aspect. He was dressed in a pair of soft linen, black drawstring, loose leg pants, a casual, off-white, button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to keep them out of the food – while at the same time offering a wonderful view of the muscles on his arms – a black apron and to top it off was barefoot. Simple, not at all unusual, casual wear – that's all it was. He was in his home, relaxing and spending time with his daughter and was wearing completely innocent, normal clothing.

_Then how come it looks so damn seductive when he's in it?_

"

"

"

I could feel a pair of eyes watching me and I could smell her…_interest_…in looking at me so I let her for a moment, trying very hard not to smirk, but soon my mirth at her attentions turned to something else and I had to try not to slip with the knife that I was cutting an onion with. I mean women looking at me like she was now never unnerved me but, well, Kagome, as always, was an exception to the rule. And I was unnerved, but not in an unpleasant way. I was just surprised at my body's reaction to her appraising eyes and I suddenly felt my cheeks growing hot.

I, Sesshoumaru Taisho, was blushing because a woman was looking at me.

_Well, that's a first._

Finally I couldn't take it anymore and tore my eyes away from the onion, blushing or not, to look at the women who was making me react in such a strange way. _Well_, I thought numbly as I tried to keep my jaw from dropping, _how in the world?_

There stood the woman who was always dressed in her attractive little suits or tastefully enticing tops. The woman that had caught my eye in her little black Gucci dress at the ball. The woman who I had – oh yes, and it had been wonderful – seen in a bathing suit, albeit a modest one. The truth was that Kagome never failed to look stunning every time I saw her. Even when I'd found her in the middle of my filthy kitchen covered in flour she'd looked adorable and charming and now? Well, now was no different except for the fact that she managed to look impossibly alluring while wearing _my_ clothes…

_Well,_ _I could certainly get used to seeing her dressed like that,_ the naughty part of my brain thought before I could stop myself.

_Good grief, behave,_ I ground out as I tried to plaster a smile on my face before she realized I was staring. I couldn't help it though, she stood in the doorway to my kitchen wearing one of my dress shirts that was so big it dwarfed her completely with a pair of my grey loose drawstring pants that dragged on the floor, her hair falling around her shoulders in those gorgeous black waves and in short… She looked unbelievably ravishing.

It wasn't fair for her to look so good.

All the time.

"

"

"

I'm not conceited, nor am I egotistical but I can tell you that after my Dad and I got home from dropping Kagome off at her house I was _bursting_ with a smug appreciation for how well my plan had worked. I mean - I was on top of the world.

They'd been so distracted by the flour fight that they hadn't stiffened around each other and after that the natural draw that they had on each worked its magic. It had been beautiful. They'd been cooking together, laughing, smiling, everything was flowing – it was like what you see in the movies and well, I couldn't have been more pleased.

Of course my happiness didn't just come from the successfulness of my plan – although I did find quite a bit of pride knowing that I had just successfully hoodwinked two very intelligent adults, how many six year olds get to claim that? – but I was also happy to see my Dad so happy. That, and a very deep part of me was bubbling over with happiness because while Kagome had been there… While the three of us had been there, in my house, cooking and eating dinner together I had felt like a family.

I know, I know. My Dad likes Kagome a lot, and she likes him but I shouldn't be getting ahead of myself. I know that. I'm not stupid. _Obviously, I tricked Dad and he didn't see it coming, he!_ But I couldn't extinguish the light of hope that had turned from the small, weak flicker of flames of a secret hope to the roaring bonfire of a determined goal.

Now, don't get me wrong. It's not that I'm unhappy with my Dad or that I'm so desperate for a mom that I'll cling to the idea of anyone that my Dad may become interested in. No. I love my Dad and I couldn't be happier with him. And after my mother I'm definitely not extremely open to older females – to put it gently. So that wasn't it at all. The thing was that Kagome just seemed to fit. It was like she was the missing piece of the jigsaw that was my family and she fit into place – perfectly. Call it a child's intuition but I was sure that she was the one that could make our brokenness whole.

And now that tonight had gone so well I was left with a solidified goal, a yearning in my heart. And let me just say, if needed, I was more than ready and willing to give them another helpful push… I can be just as determined and stubborn as my father; I'm not his daughter for nothing, after all.

"

"

"

"Well that was just…" I sighed while I laid on my back, wrapped up in my blankets staring up at the ceiling above my bed, "Dreamy…" A mental image of Sesshoumaru in his casual wear flashed across my mind's eye and I was smiling lecherously before I realized it. "Oh dear," I grumbled, rolling onto my side as I tried to clear my mind of all images of loose linen pants that fitted so nicely on his as- "Ugh."

And all visions of him in that shirt that let me see every time his muscles bunched and moved on his back while it exposed his arms up to his biceps. "I have some serious issues," I sighed as I realized I was once _again_ running through the details of his image like dumbstruck fan girls drool over photos of a teen idol while they list all of his stunning attributes. Never mind the fact that the man _was_ not only a teen idol, but also an idol to woman of any age.

"And never mind that he's got the best personality I've ever run up against," I mumbled as I stared out the window. After tonight I felt like an idiot for even worrying about if Sesshoumaru just wanted me for some good lip action. He wasn't that type of person. I'd known that, but I'd been a chicken because for the first time in all of my 21 years I was falling for someone and as much as I had secretly wondered what it would be like, the ramifications of failure and rejection had me scared spit-less. But after tonight, after just being with him and Rin at their home and enjoying spending time with them, I'd finally gotten some much-needed sense knocked into me.

I liked being with Sesshoumaru. _Ok, that was an understatement_. I loved being with Sesshoumaru. I loved being with Rin. And if I was going to let my fear get the best of me then I was going to be missing out on a lot of happiness. There's a reason for a lot of sayings: they hold some grain of wisdom and truth – some more than others. And when it came to my fears the expression, "Live life to the fullest" was what came to mind and I had claimed it as my new motto. I didn't know how he and I would turn out, but not knowing and being afraid of that lack of knowledge was just a waste. I would enjoy my time with him for the time that I had it. I wasn't going to take the good thing fate had tossed into my lap and return it.

"Good gad, I need to quit reading so many romance novels," I groaned as I rolled onto my other side, turning my back on the window. "I'm getting way to melodramatic for my own good."

"

"

"

School term had started up again. It couldn't have been better. Her schedule had morphed back into its wonderful consistency so I was in fairly high spirits as I watched her exit the school building on the first Friday after school. The only thing keeping me from truly high spirits however was that I knew she'd gone to the dog's house the day before and now she looked like she was walking in the clouds.

"Foolish woman," I curled my lip as I eased out from the alleyway near the quaint little school. I schooled my face into a mask of extreme politeness and friendliness however, as I fully reached the sidewalk and began pretending that I'd been headed in the same direction she was. It was so convenient that there was a station in this direction – you couldn't find anything more harmless than the train station that a majority of the people who worked downtown used. My long strides ate up the ground that separated us and in a matter of moments I was walking shoulder to shoulder with her.

I was disgruntled however when I realized that she hadn't even noticed my presence. _Then again,_ I thought wickedly, _perhaps this means she's getting used to my presence…_ At my voice however she jumped and her eyes took on their usual "doe-in-headlights" appearance and I was forced to scratch my hasty conclusion, "Good afternoon Miss Higurashi. What a surprise seeing you here." I smiled before I continued on in my most friendly voice, "What brings you to this part of town on a weekday?"

She continued to stare for several more seconds before she blinked and breathed, "Naraku." She didn't sound happy, well that was fine. Eventually she'd learn to be happy to see _me_, not that stupid dog. I would have my way.

"You scared me," she mumbled and I didn't miss the way her hand clenched on the handle of her briefcase, her knuckles growing nearly white.

_Yes, I can smell your fear my beautiful little Kagome,_ I thought while out loud I said with the most apologetic smile I could muster, "Oh, I'm so sorry. Please forgive, It's just I saw you and well… I wanted to come over and say hello."

She gave me a look then, her eyes growing bold for a moment, her voice cold, "I'm sure you did." She sighed then added with a firmness that most men when confronted with it would have been forced to accept her words, "I want nothing to do with you and I really don't get what or why you want to be involved with me but, let me tell you right now Mr. Hayashi, there isn't a snowball's chance in Hell that I'll ever have anything to do with you."

Like I said, if I was any normal man I would have been forced to accept her words, but I'm not a normal man and her ferocity only made me hotter, my blood boiling in anticipation of the moment I would break the bitch in more ways than one. Never before had I lusted after a woman as much as I did the little spitfire who marched so furiously away from me now, her back stiff and her long hair flowing out behind her like a silk cape. I wanted her and nothing, no one, was going to get in my way. Smiling wickedly as she disappeared into the crowd I let her go for now, I would meet up with her later after all.

"

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"

I smacked Miroku's hand away playfully as he tried to distract me from my mission: calling Kagome to let her know that we would love to go to Atom. The man was really making it very difficult though to think of anything other than… HIM. But I had a mission and I would not be swayed! No man, no matter how good a kisser or how sexy he is, no matter how much he made me want to drool, and no matter how much he made me want to throw him onto the couch and smother him in a most pleasant manner, that's right – none of it was powerful enough to sway me from my mission! Not for one more second.

Pulling myself away from his wicked hands I began to take my first step when I was pulled short by a pair of extremely strong arms that had wrapped themselves firmly around my waste. Before I knew it I had been swayed from my mission. For ten whole minutes. _Hmmm,_ I thought as I let him distract me, _I guess I can't deny that I rather like this form of distracting persuasion…_

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When I got home, still feeling like I had creepy crawlies slinking and squirming all over my body after my lovely 'run-in' with Mr. Coodies himself, I opened my phone and found out that Sango still hadn't called me back. Which was weird because she and Miroku had the day off as far as I knew. "Why in the world would she not have – Oh, oh, oh! Ahaha, I get it," I snickered as it dawned on me. "Ha, well, sorry to interrupt you two but -!" I laughed as I pressed the number to make Sango's phone explode into loud, cheerful song. _This is for all those times the two of you interrupted my beautiful sleep,_ I grinned wickedly as I waited for her to pick up the phone.

When she did I wasn't disappointed. She seemed a bit…hmm…could it be? Oh yeah, it was. She was a little, ahem, breathless. "Yes, hello Kags," she greeted extra cheerfully. _Oh Sango,_ I laughed. _You are far, far too cute my friend._

"I take it you got my message about Atom tonight? So are we on?" I asked, mirth lacing my voice.

She giggled nervously and I knew she knew they were caught. _Ahaha,_ I crowed. "Yeah, we'd love to go! What time should we pick you up?"

"How about," I tapped my foot on the floor as I calculated, "8:30?"

"Sounds great," she chirped, still trying to play innocent.

"Alright, see you then," I chirped back before I let out a peal of laughter and she groaned. "Bye hun," I snorted prior to hanging up the phone with a click, falling back onto my couch laughing helplessly.

After watching a few comedy programs on TV, eating my dinner or cabbage salad and taking a shower I started getting ready. Picking out a sexy little number that was one of my old favorites, a little drapey, black chain-back top with a scooped neckline, I threw it on and started doing my hair up in a twisting, knotted bun. In no time I was ready and when back out to watch T.V. until they got there. When I turned it on it was set on the news channel and the announcer was saying something about a successful product…I wasn't really paying attention since business makes me snore uncontrollably and I was just getting ready to change the channel when suddenly there **he** was. On my TV screen. WHAM! And even though he wasn't there with me, just hearing his voice and seeing him on the TV was enough to make me shiver. I froze with my finger over the button of my remote for a minute, just staring as his disgusting mouth opened and closed emitting charming and witty words, his whole manner oozing with self-importance.

It was repulsive and my bile was suddenly inspired to go flying.

Before it could take flight I managed to locate my motor skills again and quickly changed the channel as I tried to quit shuddering. Fortunately Downtown was on and saved me from the images of the Boogie Man. I let myself fall into the ridiculous jokes and pranks of my favorite program and quickly managed to erase the man from my thoughts – at least for a little while.

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"

"Inuyasha," a female voice that I knew all to well said from in front of my desk. _What the hell? I wonder why Kikyo's coming here. Maybe something came up with that one contract from yesterday…Great,_ I moaned before I pulled myself from the safety of my papers and looked up at the incredibly gorgeous, aloof lawyer that worked for our company.

"Sagai-san," I said smoothly, with casual confidence. The woman was like Sesshoumaru at times, often using the same brand of frigid intimidation if you got on her bad side. A fact that I'd learned when I'd gotten on her bad side. Something that I must confess had become a bit of a side hobby of mine. _Ahem. Focus Inuyasha, focus_. "What can I do for you?"

"I heard something the other day that, well, to be quite honest surprised me," she murmured in that even voice of hers and I knew that she expected me to just _know_ what she was talking about. _Fat chance,_ I tried not to snort.

"Oh really, and what was that?" I asked just as evenly. _Today has been sadly lacking in amusement… Too bad for you Kikyo, _I chuckled.

"It was something about _you_ actually…" she let her words fade as she stared at me with her calculating lawyer eyes. _I'm melting, I'm melting! Not. Good grief woman just spit it out and quit trying to read me like **that** if you want to get out of here already. And I know you do, you're already starting to twitch_.

"Oh really?" I asked, not giving an inch. When it came to this woman I lived to ignore the survival instincts that told me to keep her calm and lived to serve the impish part of me that loved nothing more than to push her buttons. She was just so rigid and stiff and I'd taken it upon myself to get her to loosen up. That of course meant that the woman didn't like me, she loathed speaking with me so I had to admit I was curious about her reasons for coming now. _And it has something to do with me, hm? Interesting, well I'm not_ _about to throw this opportunity for amusement away. Time to milk it for all it's worth_. She was actually speaking to me of her own volition – an amazing thing in and of itself – and the longer I kept her there the more flustered she was going to get which in turn amused me to no end. Did I mention I live to push the woman's buttons?

Hey eyebrow twitched and I watched with concealed amusement as she took a calming breath, "Yes, about you and Rin."

"Oh, Rin? I see," I looked up at her expectantly, letting her know that I actually didn't see, and didn't miss the annoyance that brightened her usually unemotional eyes for a split second.

"Must I spell it out for you Inuyasha?" she nearly grumbled.

_Hmmm…She's close. _"Yes, please," I smiled. "Rin and I spend a lot of time together so…" Her annoyance and anger was like perfume tickling my sensitive nose. _Mmm, yes. Look,_ I cooed sarcastically,_ you **can **relax a little bit._

"It's regarding the case with her mother," she grumbled, eyebrows pulling down in the slightest of glowers, eyes cold. I cackled mentally._ Oh Kikyo, you're making my day. I hope you know that._

"Oh, yes, the harpy from the fiery realm," I smiled brightly as if a light bulb had been turned on in my brain. The woman, due to my behavior that was meant to get her dander up, thought I was nothing more than a dim-witted Neanderthal. I didn't mind sacrificing appearances if I was able to get under the collar of the scrupulous, intelligent lawyer who just didn't know how to _unwind_.

"Well, yes about her mother," she glowered fully now, no doubt annoyed with my ridiculous language. _Good grief, have you never heard of…playful banter, woman?_

"Oh so, what's the witch up to now?" I leaned back in my chair, stretching before I put my clasped hands behind my head. _Relaxing in a professional setting as if I'm watching a football game with my guy friends and throwing back some drinks – yet another thing that drives Kikyo up the wall._

I was rewarded for my efforts by the sudden spike of anger and disdain in her scent before she ground out, eyebrows now pulled sharply down in a thunderous scowl, "I'm referring to the tape recorder Inuyasha!"

I took in the sight of her and the heady scent of her anger and had to fight very hard to keep up the façade of innocence and stupidity. Face lighting up brightly like I hadn't even noticed the ire that had begun to surface I said in a cheerful voice, "Oh! _Right_! The tape recorder! So what about it?" I let my eyes turn dull and clueless again as I stared up at her after my question. _Heya! I don't have a clue! Just call me Mr. Clueless,_ I laughed as I watched the steam practically roll out of her ears, her fists clenching and unclenching rapidly. _Now this is a great way to spend a Friday evening when you have to work late at the office…_

"I was told that you helped Rin with the idea!" she shouted, bending over the desk and pointing an angry finger at me. She was positively quivering with temper. _Oh Kikyo,_ I thought affectionately as I continued to stare at her like a slightly startled nincompoop.

Growing cheerful again I cried enthusiastically, "Oh! Yeah, I did. What about it?"

"Inuyasha," she whispered, head lowered, bangs covering her eyes and I knew it was coming. "You IDIOT!" she screeched as her head jerked up, fiery eyes glaring at me while the scent of irritation rolled off of her in waves. Bristling like an angered porcupine she stormed out of the office with a hearty slamming of the door. I leaned farther in my chair, inhaling the sweet smell of her emotionality – she did have emotions other than 'calm' you just had to pull them to the surface – and I couldn't stop the deep laughter that bubbled up out of me.

"

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"

I stormed into my office still shaking in anger. Sagging into my chair I dropped my head on my desk with an audible 'thunk' and sighed, struggling to push down the anger that was at a boil. "This is just ridiculous," I moaned into my desk. "I don't know why I let him get to me like this. Nobody else makes me so mad so quickly over the stupidest things. He's a loud-mouthed, irresponsible, cave man. He's beneath me, but I still let him get to me _every time_!" I straightened and leaned against the back of my chair for support feeling exhausted – just like every other time I had a run-in with Taisho's youngest son.

After Sesshoumaru had told me about Inuyasha's involvement with the use of the tape recorder I'd planned to thank him and congratulate him – in the slightest way possible of course, I didn't care for the man anyway – because for once it seemed like he'd actually done something _intelligent_. Amazing and unbelievable as that was. Using a tape recorder had been an idea that I was planning on sharing with Rin the next time I had a meeting with the girl and her father so when, at the next meeting, she presented me with a tape my surprise had been nearly obvious. At the next session in court that tape seemed to do just the trick and I was expecting to finally be able to wrap up the case that had been dragging on for far too long. We were just fortunate that her mother's new lover was finally drawing out the true beast so that Rin had been able to catch the evidence on tape. Most of the previous ill treatment hadn't been verbal abuse that would've been concrete enough to stand up in court.

So. I'd thought that, despite my dislike for the man, since he'd aided in the success of the case that he deserved some praise – as little as possible of course. But I _had_ been determined to at least say two things at some point during our conversation, "Thank you," and, "It was very good thinking on your part," or something along those lines, because as much as I hated to admit it, the man had obviously managed to form an intelligent idea. _Shock._

I mean sure, when it came to business he was good. He wasn't a complete loss. But when it came to anything else? Especially conversing – well, to put it nicely he was extremely lacking in the grey matter necessary for the process. "Extremely lacking," I grumbled as began to open the files drawer of my desk and got ready to pull out the next case that I needed to look at tonight after I got home.

I had told myself that this time, _this time_, he would _not_ make me angry. He would not get a reaction from me. I would be civil – despite how hard it would be – and show him my appreciation for his aid in helping the little girl get away from her unkind mother. And despite my determination he'd gotten the best of me – yet again. Where others were unable to break through the barriers that kept me calm and level-headed at all times, even during the most stressful of cases, and failed to unsettle me even over the serious things, he was able to send me on a roller coaster ride of fury and annoyance over the littlest things at such a rapid pace that it left me quivering and breathless. And exhausted.

"Neanderthal," I grumbled darkly.

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"

"Inuyasha," my dad poked his head out of his office door, scowling slightly. "You were bothering Kikyo again," he accused in a reprimanding tone.

"Oh, you could hear it?" I laughed. He rolled his eyes before he stepped completely out of his office.

"I'm not joking," he grumbled. "I'd like to keep my best lawyer happy here, thank you very much."

"Oh come on, it's just a little fun," I snorted, waving a hand at him dismissively.

"You know she thinks you're a complete fool," he muttered. "The rest of us know you aren't but you act like a complete buffoon around the woman – and I know exactly why you're doing it," he shook a finger at me.

I just smirked, "Of course you would. I won't deny it. The woman needs to learn to _relax_."

"Yes, well," he scoffed as he turned to walk back through the door. "Just make sure you don't push her too far."

"Roger," I saluted with a laugh. My father gave me a condescending look before he began to shut the door but after a short pause he poked his head out once more and I could see the mischief dancing in his eyes. I had a sinking feeling I wasn't going to like his next statement.

"Oh, and Inuyasha, you'd better be careful… Some people might think you were flirting."

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I was by the entrance, concealed in the crowd, watching and waiting for her to arrive. And when my eyes finally saw her coming through the door, her hair up in a wild bun that exposed the graceful curve of her neck while she wore a drapey black top that left me salivating in anticipation, I couldn't stop the heat that consumed me. Fire in my veins I watched with black eyes as she and her friends made their way to the bar and eventually to the dance floor. Watching from a place near the pulsting floor my lust grew exponentially as I watched her body moving sensually while she danced, completely oblivious and innocent to the countless eyes that watched her with thoughts that were far from chaste. Licking my lips I waited for the perfect moment when she would be away from her friends. For over two hours I waited, watching with a burning, raging hunger while she moved seductively to the driving rhythm of the music, and what made her all the more desirable was the way she truly seemed unaware of her effect on the opposite sex. Finally, when I felt like I couldn't wait a moment longer, I watched as she left the floor and headed to the restrooms. She was alone.

Moving through the wild crowd I reached the entrance to the hall that led to the bathrooms and waited in the dark corner near there. The music was loud, deafening the occupants of the room, while the crowd was turned away from this corner of the establishment, facing the floor and the pulsing heart of the club. No one would notice before the damage was already done and by that time I would've already disappeared into the crowd. I'd come here tonight planning on just speaking with her again and only making slight advances but after watching her for two hours I couldn't hold myself back any longer. I was going to taste her tonight. I was going to feel her against me and I was going to show her what it was like to be under my hands. I would wait no more. Tonight she would get a taste of her future.

When she emerged I was ready and I didn't hesitate to make my move.

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I emerged from the bathroom still sweaty and a little breathless from the two hours of nearly non-stop dancing, but I couldn't keep the idiotic smile from my face. "I love dancing," I sighed happily to myself as I reached the end of the hall and took my first step back out into the club area. A yelp flew out of my lips though when an arm of iron snaked around my waist and pulled me back into the dark secluded corner, throwing me roughly into the wall. Crying out in surprise and a little bit of pain I found my mouth covered rapidly with a bruising hand as my attacker placed his body in front of mine, successfully trapping me in the corner, his free hand pressing me into the wall. My eyes adjusted to the dark and when I realized who it was holding me, his dark aura crushing pressing down on me with enough force to steal my breath, I began to struggle as hard as I could, but once again was forced to see just how weak I was against the man. Thrashing wildly, fists beating his chest and nails digging into any exposed flesh I could reach, his neck, his face, anything, I soon found my hands held captive and pulled over my head, pressed against the wall by the massive hand that had been holding my shoulder in a crushing grip.

Growling, his eyes burning with unbridled lust, he pressed his repulsive body up against mine and brought his head down so that our noses touched, sending shivers of disgust running down my spine. "Kagome," he purred in a husky voice that reinforced all too clearly that his intentions were far from innocent, "When are you going to learn that there's no point in trying to resist me? You're only making me want you more." I nearly vommited and my unease only grew worse as he lowered his head and started to bring his lips to my neck.

I was bursting in panic and reeling is disgust, my body quivering in repulsion as I felt the hot breath from his disgusting lips brush against the sensitive skin of my neck, but as he drew closer the fear clouding my brain cleared, leaving a fierce determination in its wake.

This man was **not** going to touch me any longer.

Steeling myself I forced my mind to focus on the hand that still covered my mouth and the way his body was positioned against mine. The man was strong, too strong, but I wasn't going to go down without a fight. I just hoped someone would be heading over the bathroom soon – someone that wasn't inebriated and thought I was enjoying being lusted after by the Snake.

His lips were close now, just a hair's breadth closer and they'd be on my neck so with one last prayer for success I clamped my teeth down on his hand as hard as I could and was pleased when the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.

Reeling back with several choice curses he pulled back _just enough_, his eyes burning with fury as he brought up his injured hand to strike me. As he brought it down though, I brought something up – right into his lower region – so as his slap left me reeling I was rewarded with the sound of him groaning in pain and bending over double. Knowing that I didn't have any time to spare I slipped out from underneath him as fast as my ringing skull would allow and disappeared into the crowd, panting in terror as I weaved my way through the mass of people until I reached my circle of safety.

When I reached them Sango and Miroku looked over at me lazily, but then jumped when they actually caught sight of me and I realized how bad I must look. "Kagome!" Sango cried as she let go of Miroku and came to stand in front of me, brown eyes full of worry, as she placed a hand on my cheek. "What happened? Are you ok?!" Miroku joined her looking just as worried but equally pissed off.

"I'm ok now," I tried to smile but I was feeling dizzy from the rush of adrenaline and the brain-rattling hit that Naraku had landed on the left side of my face.

"But you have blood on your face and your mouth is bleeding!" she cried hysterically and by this time other people on the dance floor were actually beginning to stare. _Oh hi everybody, don't mind me,_ I remember thinking distantly as the dizziness increased.

"Can we go sit down by the bar?" I mumbled, my exhaustion growing now that I was safe.

"Of course," Miroku said smoothly as he and Sango both took me by the arm and walked me to the counter, helping me onto one of the high chairs.

"Now what the hell happened," Sango growled and I knew that she'd reached the angry, protective phase. _Oh Sango,_ I thought affectionately as I took in her 'I'm gonna kick some ass' stance and the fire that danced in her eyes, _I love you!_

"And why are you bleeding?" Miroku added, staring at me.

"Oh well – it's not my blood," I tried to laugh dryly but it just came out sounded weak. Coughing, I decided to elaborate, "I had a run-in with someone when I came out the bathroom and they trapped me in the corner over there that no one really looks at. They had a hand over my mouth so I couldn't cry for help and after I scratched them and hit them in the chest a few time they caught my arms and held them up so I couldn't do anything." I paused and wasn't surprised to see their fury growing by leaps and bounds. "He was going to try and kiss my neck and so I bit his hand as hard as I could. It's his blood. It got him to move away enough for me to get in a hit to his…weak point…but I didn't get it before he'd hit my face with his injured hand. I'm just glad it did the job," I sighed, collapsing against the counter as it hit me just how lucky I was.

"So you didn't know who the guy was?" Miroku asked. "Could you see his face? I mean, I know it's hard Kagome," he frowned as Sango gave me a comforting hug, "but do you think you'll be able to describe him for the police?"

"Oh, yeah," I laughed weakly. "That shouldn't be a problem," I sighed. "After all the man's infamous," I muttered and Sango and Miroku tensed instantly, their eyes growing cold with horror as they caught the meaning in my words.

"No," Sango breathed, her breath leaving her slightly limp causing Miroku to quickly wrap his arm around her waist.

"You're sure?" he asked, eyes growing more serious by the second.

"Yeah, couldn't have been more sure," I sighed.

"Well, I think we need to call it an evening and get you down to the police station. You need to file a report and get that blood on your face into the lab immediately," he said as he gave a slight pull on Sango and she helped me back to the floor.

I sighed as I leaned on her for support, shivering in the aftermath of the terrifying incident, "Thank God you guys are here. I wouldn't know what to do otherwise."

"Of course, hun," Sango cooed, rubbing my arm in a comforting gesture, "How's your head feel?"

"Awful," I chuckled.

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"

It was Saturday afternoon and I knew that she was usually at home on Saturdays after she'd finished volunteering, reading one of her English novels. And since it was such a lovely day outside and I was free from work I'd decided to pay her a visit and see if I couldn't interrupt her from her book. Grinning as I climbed the stairs and reached her door I knocked twice and waited for her reply. Ran's playful, yodeling barks burst out on the other side of the door and I couldn't help but smile even wider.

As her beautiful voice calling out, "Coming!" reached my ears I couldn't help the giddy feeling that bubbled up inside of me. The sound of the chain lock – the new and improved one that I'd purchased for her – sliding into place could be heard before she opened the door. When she saw me she squeaked and attempted to slam the door in my face but my hand was already out, stopping the door, my good mood instantly deflated by what I'd seen.

Her lip was swollen and cut while a dark welt marred the left side of her face making my blood run cold.

**End Chapter**

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第八課出来た〜！良かったね、皆！

じゃあ、それでは〜

Hey guys, sorry it took me so long – boy, so this chapter was kind of weird maybe? I don't know, not too confident about it - I guess I'm old fashioned and a bit of a hopeless romantic so I guess I just couldn't let them be TOGETHER immediately despite their kiss - hope that's ok with everyone but I want to try - to the best of my abilities (which all hangs on my ability to write it decently - eep) to give them an emotional relationship too. Plus I know I had a lot of people's thoughts in this chapter so I hope that wasn't too boring! ( '-' ) Anyway, please let me know what you think! I love to hear your comments, questions, and input so please - fire away! ( '-' )v

I'll try to get the next chapter out as soon as possible but until then I'll be waiting to hear your thoughts! \( '-' )/ Thanks soooo much for all the wonderful reviews for last chapter and for all of the great input! I love you all!

Yours Truly,

Alyce

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Notes:

"All the necessary formalities" – this was referring to the ritualized manner in which Japanese people enter and leave the rooms of their superiors. When you leave you bow slightly and say thank you or please excuse me (shitsurei shimasu) and then without fully turning your back on the person you make your way to the door and once there you back out, usually bowing again, and say, "Shitsurei shimasu" as you shut it.

"Raccoon dog" a literal translation of the animal found in Japan called "tanuki" – In Inuyasha they usually just translate it as raccoon because it's just simpler but it's actually a different animal from the raccoon. They're really adorable too ()v

"I'm home" – In Japanese it's "Tadiama" and as I'm sure most of you know it's one half of the traditional greeting Japanese people use whenever anyone arrives back at the house. The person already in the house is supposed to say, "Okaeri nasai," in response so Sesshoumaru was just saying the set phrase. It sounds so weird in English though – to me anyway – so sorry if it sounded awkward (It made me think of, "Honey! I'm home!" Haha).

"Downtown" is a brilliant comedy program in Japan that's one of my personal favorites. It always has me rolling in hysterics.

I LOVE Mos Burger! (In Japanese it's spelled: Mosu Baagaa so it's super fun to say and the commercials always have this really cute girl's voice saying "Mosu Baagaa!" in a really happy, hyper way. It's great. And the classic Mos Burger is to die for. They have a sign in the Mos Burger in my neighborhood that says "Burger is my life" Hahahaha. How cute is that?! ( '-' ) 


	9. Chapter 9

**Warning:** extremely exhausted writer – have now checked this thing twice but because I love you all, you are being forewarned _just in case_ it's still riddled with boo-boos \( '-' )/… ( '-' ) sorry!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Inuyasha or characters nor do I have any claim to Elizabeth Peter's series and the characters within – I'm only a major fan, haha ( '-' ) The Illusionist? Don't own it either but it's a great movie ( '-' )v so please refrain from suing me, thanks!

**Chapter 9: Swimsuit?!**

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At the police station the officer was incredibly nice, but I didn't miss that while he was walking us through all the steps he seemed to think it was pointless. They knew all too well the girls that claimed to be attacked by Naraku and how no matter what evidence they brought against him the man always seemed to get away – without even a slap on the wrist. They took samples of the blood and sent them to the lab before they filed my report. I was too worn out by the time we were finished to even start the ball rolling on pressing charges so Sango and Miroku decided that it was time to take me home – once we made a swing by the hospital. When I got there I'd found out that the blood hadn't _all _been Naraku's; although most of it had been, I did have a split lip from the blow to my face along with a terrible welt that looked as bad as it felt.

Sango decided once we got to my apartment that she was going to stay the night and after she made a quick run to the nearest convenient store we wished Miroku sweet dreams and good night.

"What'd you get?" I asked, hiding a yawn behind my hand as I watched her from the couch, incredibly glad that she was staying with me for the night.

She smiled and pulled out a large carton of ice cream with a flourish, "Comfort food for my favorite girl!" she cried enthusiastically, holding out the ice cream for me to see.

I face faulted into the couch before I looked back up at her and said with big, adoring puppy eyes, "Sango! I love you! You got the coffee flavor!"

"I love you too Kags!" she chirped as she pulled two tablespoons out of the drawer in the kitchen and pranced over to sit with me on the couch. "And after tonight you definitely deserve it!" She hugged me and I couldn't help but start to sniffle, the tears pricking my eyes as my gratefulness bubbled up and caught in my throat.

Throwing my arms around my best friend I couldn't stop the quiet sob that escaped my lips before I muttered into her shoulder, "I was so scared Sango. I – I didn't know if I was going to get away. And I don't know what he would have done if –"

"Shh," she cooed, rubbing a hand on my back comfortingly, "Thank God we don't have to think about the 'if's' Kags. You're safe now and we're going to do everything we can to bring that man down, damn it. He picked the wrong girl to mess with," she finished with a growl.

I looked up at her with a watery smile and mumbled, "Thank you Sango, I really don't know what I'd do without you guys."

"Another thing you don't have to worry about," she chuckled and gave me one final squeeze before I straightened and she set the ice cream carton down on the table with a 'thump'. "We'll always be here for you – anytime you need us to come and stay with you, you just let us know, ok? I really don't like that you live alone," she frowned as she pulled the lid off and the beautiful coffee flavored ice cream became visible. "Thank goodness you have a dog now at least… Although she's still a puppy."

The dog in question sat next to Sango's feet giving her a perplexed look and we both laughed. "I don't know how good of a guard dog she'd be," I chuckled before I brandished my spoon and dug into the block of soft, sweet, goodness, otherwise known as ice cream. Despite my exhaustion I was afraid to sleep so we spent several hours watching TV and movies that I owned until we both couldn't keep our eyes open any longer. And so we fell asleep on the couch, Sango, Ran, and I all curled together with an empty ice cream carton on the coffee table in front of us.

"

"

"Are you gonna tell him?" Sango asked from the kitchen where she was making eggs.

I stretched, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, "What?"

"Sesshoumaru," she said as if it explained everything.

Which it did. "Um," I mumbled, tilting my head in thought. I remembered how angry Sesshoumaru got just over Naraku holding my hand and kissing it and I shook my head, "Oh man, if he found out he'd be so pissed."

"Of course he would – because he should," she said emphatically.

"I don't want to worry him though," I said thoughtfully, placing my chin in my hands as I put my elbows on the back of the couch so I could face Sango.

"I think he has a right to know though," she flipped the eggs skillfully before she turned to face me again, "He might feel hurt if he's left out of the loop."

"True," I muttered, eyes focused on the carpet as I thought. _One strand, two, three…ten, eleven…twenty-nine, thir-_

"Kagome!" Sango's voice interrupted my very deep contemplative thoughts – yes, counting the strands in the carpet. Uh-huh.

"Hm?" I snapped my head up so quickly I thought I heard something pop, "What's up?"

"Eggs are done, space cadet," she chortled.

"Gee, thanks," I snorted, holding out my hand to take the plate of warm eggs.

"So, yes, no?" she asked, eyebrow arched as she sat down on the couch, settling the plate on her lap.

I sighed thoughtfully before I nodded, "I'll tell him I guess, but honestly Sango, how am I supposed to do that?"

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, hey Sesshoumaru, how's it going? Yeah, I'm not volunteering today cause I'm supposed to avoid as many routine places as possible now. Oh yeah, why's that? Well, funny you should ask because the thing is I got sexually assaulted last night by the creepy, stalker guy you warned me about. Yeah, Naraku, that's right, He decided to pay me a visit at the dance club last night," I finished and gave Sango a wilting look.

"Well," she muttered, "you don't have to say it like _that_."

"Well, then how would you do it," I pursed my lips, waiting for her answer.

"Um, well, about that," she giggled nervously. "I honestly have no idea."

"I thought so," I snickered. "So as of now we're stuck," I stated happily, glad that maybe I wouldn't have to tell him just yet.

"It would seem so," she grumbled, taking a large bite of egg. "Give me a few minutes to think of something."

In the end she was only able to say that she didn't know how I should say it but that I definitely needed to tell him. We'd left it at that and around noon she'd had leave to go do some work at the office but promised she'd have her cell on and that she'd be back around 4 or 5 with movies. And so that was how I found myself at 2 o'clock in the afternoon reading my current English novel, "The Falcon at the Portal" by Elizabeth Peters, one of my favorite authors.

I was so engrossed in the book – right in the middle of a confrontation between Ramses and Nefret – that I was actually doing a very good job of blocking out all thoughts of the horror from the night before. I yawned despite my interest in the book, exhausted from my lack of sleep, and turned the page with bated breath when a knock sounded on the door. Sleepily looking over at the door and Ran who was belting out in joyous, welcoming song I called from my place on the couch, "Coming!"

Making my way to the door I slid the chain lock in place and began to open the door without looking through the peephole first.

In hindsight that was unbelievably stupid and something that I blame fully on my exhaustion. I mean, who opens the door – chain lock or not – without looking out the peephole – the day after you've been attacked by a guy who's been following you and probably knows where you live? Probably nobody who's actually fully utilizing the grey matter between his or her ears, that's who.

_Did I say exhausted? Because I meant to say beyond extremely comatose coupled with some seriously frazzled nerves!_

When I opened the door – the thought of Naraku never once crossing my mind that currently seemed to be down for the count – I found myself face to face with Sesshoumaru. I jumped with a startled, "Ah!" and tried to slam the door shut in a completely reflexive reaction, hoping desperately that he hadn't noticed the mess that was my face. It was then that I found myself pulling against an incredible force and had to admit that playing tug-of-war with Sesshoumaru was like trying to pull an elephant uphill by hand – impossible.

Looking up at his face I found such a mixture of horror, concern, and protective fury that I let go of the door, my hands numb, and just stood there blinking at him like a possum that you caught in your garbage can at night – before he keels over and plays dead, of course, which is precisely what I contemplated doing at that very moment.

"

"

"

"So you're saying that even though we have hard evidence that he'll probably end up not even getting charged? What the f-" I growled angrily over the phone at the lawyer that I was talking to.

"Ma'am I'm sorry, but you asked me to be honest and I can honestly tell you that in several of the other cases they had outstanding evidence and the man walked away without a charge," the lawyer sighed, sounding slightly disgusted. _Not as disgusted as I am,_ I grumbled.

"Look, just – can you give me somebody, anybody, that might give us a fighting chance in court? Or would at least be willing to take our case?" I muttered grumpily. He was the fifth lawyer that I'd contacted since I left Kagome's apartment and I was beginning to feel like I was fighting an uphill battle. Nobody wanted to touch the man. Most of the lawyers that had represented the victims found themselves without a job or had their law firms shut down. The man was a monster and nobody that I'd called so far wanted to touch the case with a ten-foot pole – despite the hard evidence we had.

"I can't really think of anyone Ma'am, my apologies," he said in a sympathetic tone.

"Well, thank you," I mumbled, running a hand through my hair in frustration as I hung up and looked at the next number in yellow pages section for lawyers.

"

"

"

She stood there, only partially visible through the open door, blinking and staring at me and for a moment I was afraid she was going to collapse. My emotions were such a tangled jumble of shock, horror, worry, and fury that I didn't even know where to begin to sort them out and so I too stood there, my hand on the door in a crushing grip as I tried to control the youki that was roaring for release.

It wanted blood.

Finally after a painfully long time where I battled for control and fought the urge to go and rip off the head of the perpetrator – and I had a damn good idea who it was – she broke the silence with a loud cough as she cleared her throat, "Um, why don't you come in?"

I stared at her for a short moment before I released my hold on the door and allowed her to undo the lock. Opening the door she motioned me inside and I stepped into the entryway, eyes pinned on her face the entire time. I opened my mouth to speak, an unbidden growl already beginning to rumble in my chest as I clenched my fists, the claws drawing blood, while I tried to keep the youki at bay.

I couldn't stand to see her hurt. It terrified me and enraged me all at the same time. I'd never liked being afraid.

Before I could form words with my leaden tongue she beat me to it, "Um, well I guess I should start with the five 'w's."

My jaw clicked shut in surprise and then I managed to pry it open again, asking in confusion, "The five 'w's?"

"Yes," she nodded, "What, when, who, where, and why."

"Ah, yes," I coughed, trying to draw in a deep, calming breath while I counted to ten.

"Um, first of all," she started as she sat down sideways on her couch Indian style and I sat down imitating her position, "I thought I should tell you, but I didn't really know how to start so...but now that you're here."

She squirmed slightly and I tried to keep the crimson from my eyes, still unable to take them away from the site of her poor, abused face. "Alright," she sighed, a great release of breath as she squared her shoulders, "What happened? I got attacked last night at Atom by Naraku who decided that slamming me into a corner and trapping me there was a good idea. Why? Because he's a sick bastard who apparently sees the words 'no' and 'never' as a turn on and an invitation to force himself on women."

If I had thought I was angry before I'd had no idea. My blood boiled, my heartbeat jumped to a feverish pace, and my mind was racing. But not only was I angry, no, I was filled with such concern, and horror, and a desire to comfort her in some way that it left me breathless and unable to form a coherent thought.

She was watching me wide eyed and I knew that my eyes had bled crimson and the lines on my face had grown jagged, the air around me crackling in my bloodlust and so I wrestled with myself; scaring her the last thing on the list of things I wanted to do. No, that list consisted primarily of what I wanted to do to a certain black haired man who didn't deserve to draw another breath.

"I'm ok though," she started, voice worried as she tried to calm me.

Finally trusting my voice to not come out as a growl I asked tentatively, lifting my hand towards her face, "May I?"

She nodded and I leaned forward to examine the damage done to her beautiful, innocent face. The welt spread lengthwise down the left side, mostly on her cheek and a part of her mouth but it was obvious from the size and the coloring that it had been done with a large hand and unrestrained force. Her lip was cut and swollen in one place and I couldn't stop the low growl that reverberated in my chest at the sight. Reaching my hand out hesitantly I touched the offended flesh with a feather's caress, but she still winced with a sharp intake of breath. "I'm sorry," I murmured, pulling my hand back as if it had been burned.

"No," she smiled, "I was… I was really scared," she started shakily and before I knew it I'd wrapped my arms around her and pulled her into my lap causing a gasp to escape her abused lips. Staring at me wide-eyed for a moment before she adjusted herself slightly within my arms, her scent was like a calming perfume for my raging youki. _I'm here, I'm ok, it's ok, _it seemed to whisper and I felt myself growing calmer, my heart slowing from it's insane rhythm.

"I think I made him angry yesterday," she murmured as she looked up at me and I found my hand in her hair, my fingers running through the black tresses in a comforting gesture. "He 'ran into me' when I was leaving the school on my way home and I," she shook her head, "I told him that I didn't want anything to do with him and that there wasn't a snowball's chance in Hell that I ever would."

I blinked at her, at the injured little spitfire in my arms, and I didn't know whether to be proud of her for her mettle or to groan at the words that, as she'd said, for sick bastards like Naraku would only serve to solidify their determination.

She laughed, a quiet, breathy laugh, when she saw my consternated expression and said, "Yes, I know. Probably not the wisest thing to have said."

I said nothing, not trusting myself to speak intelligently, my brain still too traumatized by everything that I could see myself really putting my foot in it or exploding – one of the two and neither one sounded appealing, so I settled for silent gestures of comfort. Pulling her closer I watched her intently as she continued, comforted by the warmth and the feel of her petite frame in my arms.

"But he found me at Atom when I left the bathroom. The corner over there's really dark and nobody really pays attention to it so it's not uncommon to find people," she blushed, "doing," cough, "stuff. I was alone and there was no else around and he was so strong." She shivered, a grimace crossing her face, her eyes dark as her mind took her back to that moment and I couldn't stop the protective rumble that resounded from my chest.

Looking up at me in surprise she blushed before she continued, voice shaky at first, "He told me that I needed to quit resisting him – that it was only making him want me more and then he tried to kiss my neck," she pulled a face and said in a stronger voice, "I tried to fight with him when he first grabbed me and threw me against the wall, but he caught my hands and covered my mouth with the other and used his body to trap mine." As the crimson started to bleed into my eyes again, the thought of his disgusting body against hers making me want nothing more than to go on a bloody rampage, she quickly added in a louder voice, her small hand reaching out to gently rest on my shoulder, "But it was ok. I bit his hand before he got to kiss me or do anything else for that matter. It made him move just enough for me to get in a good kick with my knee, but not before he'd slapped me with his injured hand. But I'm ok, I got away," she finished, a shaky smile on her lips as the scent of tears that rested just beneath the surface pricked my nose.

_She's been so brave despite her fear. _

"

"

"

I'd finished my explanation and despite my insistence that I was ok I found the tears pricking my eyes again as I relived the awful experience. Sesshoumaru's presence did wonders to make me feel safe and calm, but in my mind's eyes I could see his leering face, on my skin I could feel his acidic breath, and in my ears I could hear his oily voice as he told me to give in.

Lost in my dark thoughts I couldn't keep myself from jumping when I was pulled protectively and tenderly into Sesshoumaru's chest – more than I already was – his face touching mine in a gentle caress before he buried it in my hair, inhaling deeply. Speaking in a low voice choked with emotion that warmed me to my very core he murmured, "It's ok now. It's ok."

Pulling back from me he looked into my face, golden eyes impossibly warm as he tucked a piece of hair behind my ear, "You were so brave. You should be proud of yourself, Kagome." He paused and then brought his face to mine, our noses touching as he stared into my eyes, letting the emotions that swirled in the amber depths support his next words, "I'm so glad that you're safe. I'm only sorry that I wasn't there and that I can't do now what I could have done several centuries ago."

At this last part I couldn't help but stiffen in confusion – and a little bit of surprise. I'm only 21 years old and he was talking about an era several centuries ago because he'd actually been alive during that time? I knew he'd been alive of course, but to hear him talk about it was still a little mind-boggling.

Staring at him with my face oozing in bewilderment I asked very eloquently, "Huh?" _Oh yes, do I know how to articulate a question delicately, or do I? So embarrassing,_ I moaned as I resisted the urge to blush.

He looked at me now, my bewilderment reflecting in his handsome face as he asked somewhat uncertainly, "To which part exactly?"

"Oh, um," I blushed slightly, "the whole, uh, 'several centuries ago' bit." I coughed as I tried to extinguish the small flames that were currently heating my cheeks.

His eyes flashed with specks of crimson for a moment before he said in a flat tone, "Centuries ago I would've had every right to kill that bastard in whatever way I pleased. I could've ripped out his insides or filled him with just enough poison to ensure his death would be long and painful or –" He stopped suddenly and had the decency to blush slightly.

I couldn't help but stare.

The gentle, caring man in front of me was talking about killing in a very intimate way and it was a little, well, out of place, shocking, and strangely amusing. The giggles were silent at first but then very quickly I found myself shaking with laughter as Sesshoumaru's blush grew more vibrant. _It's nice for once to be the one making **him** blush,_ I thought wickedly as I watched his face through the tears caused by my mirth.

Finally getting a hold on myself – slightly – I managed to chortle, "Sorry! It was just so…so…haha."

"You asked," he muttered, the blush starting to cool.

"So I did," I snorted. "Sorry. It's just I didn't expect you to say that." _Snicker._

"Well personally – to be completely honest – I wouldn't really mind if you did any one of those things to the creep. I don't like violence but, well, he crossed the line," I shrugged and he smiled wolfishly and I was reminded yet again, that the man in front of me was really a powerful predator – as well as a lovely person. _Talk about layers. Maybe youkai are like ogres and onions…_

"I know, I'm an elementary teacher so people expect me to be really against violence but," I paused, looking at the ceiling thoughtfully. "Well, in my opinion people like that, who are repeat offenders, and who can't respect woman enough to keep their grubby hands off – I think the victims deserve some sort of retribution or should at least be able to strike out in their own defense."

"I couldn't agree with you more," he chuckled and ruffled my hair, eyes twinkling. "I have to admit I was surprised when you said that you injured him. I'm quite impressed."

"Ah," I blushed, "well, being someone who seems to have a knack for attracting trouble it's not the first time I've had to…use force to get the point across."

His smile disappeared and a growl rumbled up, reverberating out of his broad chest and I couldn't help but shiver – not in a bad way mind you, "Let's hope this is the last time you'll have trouble. You went to the police last night of course?"

"Yes," I nodded, "Sango and Miroku took me to the station and we sent the blood in for tests and filed the report. The police seemed to think that it was hopeless though… I guess nobody's ever managed to even get him charged," I sighed. "I don't even know if I'll be able to get a restraining order on him if I can't him get him charged for anything."

"You just leave that to me, Kagome," he purred, eyes fiercely protective as he pulled me close again and I couldn't help the blush that lit on my cheeks or the warm feeling that filled my heart.

"

"

"

"Sagai-san," my secretary called on the phone, "You have a call from Sesshoumaru Taisho on line one."

"Thank you, Miho," I mumbled before I pushed the button to transfer the line. "Mr. Taisho, what can I do for you this afternoon? Is there something concerning Rin?"

"No, actually I have favor to ask you, but before you accept or decline I want to assure you that your job will be safe," he said in the cool, businesslike voice I knew so well.

To say my curiosity was roused would be an understatement. _Why in the world would my job not be safe,_ I wondered before I asked, "Alright, Mr. Taisho. What's this favor then?"

"I'd like you to take on a case for someone close to me that has…had a run-in with Naraku Hayashi," he stated dully, only a trace of his fury leaking through the calm tone.

I winced.

I couldn't help it.

_Shit, not another one,_ I growled, _that sick bastard's already destroyed enough people...most of the women were stupid but that's no excuse. Just because you're born lacking certain qualities doesn't mean you should be taken advantage of…_

"Someone close to, you said. A relation?" I asked calmly, my voice never once betraying my disgust and irritation.

"No, not a relation. I don't think you would know her but her name is Kagome Higurashi. She's Ri-" he started but I cut him off with a small gasp.

"Did you just Kagome Higurashi?" I asked quickly, the worry in my voice actually rising to the surface.

"Yes, do you know her?" he asked, surprise lacing his tone.

I laughed dryly, "Yes, I know her. She's my cousin."

"So will you take the case?" he asked, voice back to the businesslike tone.

"Yes, but is she ok? I'm surprised she would fall for his tricks," I murmured, my mind going in a hundred directions all at once. "I don't know Kagome all that well, we aren't close, but I never thought she was the kind to get caught up with a guy like Naraku."

A growl sounded on the other side of the phone before he calmed himself and said in a cold voice, "Unfortunately, this is not one of Naraku's typical patterns. She wasn't fooled and she even told him she wanted nothing to do with him."

I groaned, "Oh Kagome, you firebrand."

"Yes," he sighed, "she does seem to have a knack for getting into trouble but that's besides the point. He's been following her for a while now I believe, and last night he attacked her at a dance club she often goes to with her friends."

"How badly," I said quietly, afraid to ask.

"She actually got away quickly but she has a split lip and a nasty welt on her face from when he hit her after she bit him."

I didn't know whether to hang my head in defeat or be proud for my cousin. "You realize he's not going to give up so easily, correct?"

"Of course I realize it. I particularly don't like the fact that she lives alone and that he undoubtedly knows exactly where she lives," he growled and once again my curiosity was roused.

_Exactly what type of relationship does he have with my cousin, _I wondered and desperately wanted to ask, but at the moment it didn't seem like a very professional question so I resisted the urge. Barely.

"Yes, that's not good," I said instead. "Has she filed a report with the police?"

"Yes, they also got a blood sample from when he slapped her with his injured hand," he answered, voice gruff.

"And you say you think he's been following her?"

"She's had several 'run-ins' that were not that at all. If they were, I'm a cat," he growled. "I'll let her tell you about those though when you speak with her. Do you think you can speak with her tomorrow or is your schedule full?"

"I'll move some things around. I can be free at 4," I replied flipping through my schedule book.

"Good," he murmured, relief filling his voice. "I'll let her know then. Thank you, Sagai-san."

"Please," I grumbled, "she's my cousin and I've been dying to try my hand at bringing that pig down. It'll be my pleasure – but I can't make any promises other than that I _will_ do my best."

"That's all I can ask," he replied, his smile evident even over the phone.

"

"

"

"Hayashi-san," Kanna said in a flat tone that held no emotion – typical – when I picked up my cell phone Sunday morning, "You wanted to know if anyone called the office."

"So, someone's called then?" I growled.

"Yes, a lawyer's secretary to be exact. Apparently they're planning on bringing charges against you," she replied dully.

Glaring at the hand that had nearly healed, the arched cuts from weak human teeth still marring the pale flesh, I hissed, "Well you'd better do something about it. Who is it?"

"Actually Sir, it's interesting that you should ask. We can't touch her. She works for the Taisho family," she murmured.

"Kikyo Sagai," I scoffed, "she's just a business lawyer. What the hell is she doing on a case like this?"

"I knew you'd want to know that so I took the liberty of looking at her profile," Kanna's dead voice sounded. "She works as a business lawyer but is perfectly capable of handling other types of trials."

"Well, if we can't touch her then I suggest that you think of something fast," I growled, lips twisted in an angry snarl as I looked at my hand once more. "Find out if the victim went to a station and if she did, which one. I want to know who can be bribed so I suggest that you do it now. If this blows up in my face I'll personally make sure that you don't live long, am I understood?"

"Yes, Hayashi-san," she replied calmly.

"Don't bother me unless you've got something significant to tell me," I finished, angrily snapping the phone closed before she could respond. Sitting in my chair where I'd been reading the morning newspaper I slammed my fist down on the table, a crack materializing in the wood with a sickening creak.

_This is not over. The bitch will pay,_ I thought furiously, my face twisting into a mask of sickening anticipation. _She's only sealed her fate by insulting me. She'll learn what it's like to be mine and to be punished by my hand._

"

"

"

Monday Higurashi-sensei wasn't at school – to everyone's disappointment. Ms. Suzuki said that she wasn't feeling well and wouldn't be back for at least a few days, but I knew what had really happened.

On Sunday my Dad had left to take Higurashi-sensei to see Sagai-san. He said she was ok but that she'd been hurt by a bad man so she needed a lawyer to get help – just like he and I needed one to get away from Mom. He wouldn't tell me anything else but I knew that _it_ was why she wasn't at school. It upset me a lot, knowing she'd been hurt. I was scared, but I knew that Dad would take care of her. He'd protect her and so I just had to trust him.

When Dad got home he seemed to be stuck in deep contemplation about something and my curiosity was piqued.

"Dad, what are you thinking about?" I asked, following him into the kitchen where he'd started pulling out a few pots and pans.

"Hm?" he looked at me as if he hadn't noticed I was there before he answered, "Oh. Something's come up. I called the school already so that's taken care of but…I have to call Kagome."

"What's come up? You're being a little bit vague Dad," I mumbled, perplexed as he distractedly began making supper.

"Your Grandfather is sending me on an errand. It's ridiculous really," he held a pan under the faucet of running water before setting it on the stove. "He wants me to go to Greece for him and purchase some real estate."

"Greece?" I questioned, voice squeaking in surprise. "What in the world?"

"My words precisely," he muttered grumpily as he strode to the refrigerator and pulled out some carrots, onions, and various mushrooms. Setting them down on the counter he began rinsing them off as he continued, "The old man has decided that he'd like to spend some of his extra money on resort property in Greece. Apparently he's been watching the market there for a while and it's one of his favorite places to vacation so he's gotten the idea into his head to buy a hotel or two." Dad sighed in obvious annoyance before he pulled a knife out of the drawer and took it out on the vegetables. I winced slightly as he chopped with smooth, aggressive strokes and the image of a man being cut by a sword came to mind. _Only Dad cutting vegetables would make me think of something so violent_, I chuckled. _It just looks normal and harmless when other people do it._

"Now of all times," he continued to grumble, the carrots being sliced and diced at an alarming rate. "It wouldn't be so bad if this whole situation wasn't going on. I wouldn't even mind going to Greece, it's beautiful there but," the top of the onion went flying, "now is just not a good time."

I arched an eyebrow in question, feeling like I was still missing something – something that no doubt had to do with Teacher. "Why can't Uncle Inuyasha do it then?"

"He's in the middle of an important deal right now. He can't leave. I'm the only one who happens to be in the middle of a lull and so I'm the only one that can go. There's going to be an auction for his favorite place so we can't go any other time," he sighed as he threw the vegetables into the skillet with a little bit of water and soy sauce. "I tried to get out it but the old man wouldn't hear it. He's been watching that hotel for years and now's his chance so," he stopped mid-sentence as he turned to look at me, his hand moving the chopsticks in a deft motion as he cooked the vegetables, "I'm sorry dear but we'll be leaving tomorrow morning at 9 from the airport so we'll need to pack tonight. We'll only be there for one full day though so you don't need to pack a lot."

"I'm going with you?" I asked, surprised. "To Greece? So that's why you called the school..."

"Yes, your Grandfather thinks you would love it there and since it won't be business the entire time I thought maybe you and I could spend some time together, " he smiled gently, his first real smile since he'd walked in the door. But then he continued and his expression changed, "I need to call Kagome about the next couple days. I really don't like leaving her right now with everything that's going on," he grumbled, eyebrows drawn down into a scowl.

_Yeah, _I thought with a laugh, _Kagome's going to be just fine – with Dad all worried about her._

"

"

"

My cell phone rang at around 7 on Monday night while I was in the middle of watching a new American movie that I'd ordered online, _The Illusionist_. Picking it up – once again forgetting to check the caller ID – I began cheerfully, "Hello, Kagome Higurashi speaking. How may I help you?"

_Yeah, yeah – you laugh! But, it **could** have been my boss calling me to tell me to get my butt back in school – never mind that I had a couple sick days saved up._

There was a small, deep chuckle and I couldn't stop the blush that appeared on my cheeks as Sesshoumaru's silky voice spoke on the other end, "Glad to see you're sounding well."

"Oh, Sesshoumaru," I winced and hit my forehead silently. "What's up?"

"Well I wanted to call and make sure, I know you're taking a few days off this week… So I wanted to make sure that you had somebody to stay with you for the next couple of days," he spoke calmly, voice warm and friendly.

I couldn't help myself. I got dreamy eyed for a minute. _Can you blame me? I didn't think so._ _Who wouldn't like to have Sesshoumaru Taisho calling **them** up to check on them? Hmm?_

"Oh," I finally got my lips moving after a fractional pause, "Yes, I'll be off until Thursday or Friday. The boss wasn't too happy about that, but I'd rather not go for just a couple more days. My wits are scrambled," I chuckled.

"Of course," he purred and I leaned back into the cushioned back of the couch. "So do you have someone to stay with you for the next couple of days?"

I laughed, "Sango offered but I know this week is really busy for her so I waved her off. I'm fine here anyway."

"Sango's busy?" he asked, concern lacing his tone.

"Yeah, there're a bunch of things she has to cover this week along with several massive articles that have to be written for the next publication," I shrugged nonchalantly – not like he could see me.

"Well is there anyone else who can stay with you?" he asked, the concern growing more pronounced in his voice.

"Not that I can think of, " I started, feeling puzzled, "Why? I'm really ok now. A little frazzled, but quite fine here by myself."

"Kagome," he said gently, "denial isn't going to make Naraku any less angry or less likely to want to try something again. It's not safe for you to be there by yourself."

"Well, I'm trying not to be paranoid here," I grumbled petulantly. "I don't want to let him get to me so much that I'm always looking over my shoulder."

"I'm not asking you to be paranoid," he sighed and I could just see him running a hand through his hair. _That gorgeous hair… My go- It was so soft that one time when – Ahem._ _Right, he's talking. Focus._ "But I do want you to be cautious," his voice turned slightly pleading.

Only Sesshoumaru can plead and still sound way too sexy, while other men would just sound whiny. _Honestly, how does the man do it?_

"I _am_ being cautious," I mumbled. "The door is always locked – but really I don't think I can stand inconveniencing people anymore. Sango's stayed here for three nights already."

"I know your friends don't feel like you're inconveniencing them."

"Well, I know that," I huffed slightly, "but _I _feel like a burden."

"And you're sure there's no one else?" he sighed, sounding strangely defeated. _Hmm. He can be beat, _I thought a little giddily. _That's a first._

"Yes," I replied quickly, sensing my victory. I was being perfectly honest when I said I felt like a burden on my friends. I hate being a burden. I hate feeling afraid. And to be completely honest I hated that Naraku was affecting us all so much. I didn't like giving the disgusting man so much power. So. I had reached a decision today and told Sango that I was fine, to sleep in her own bed, and to have a wonderful time going to all of those _fascinating _business conferences. _Fun._ I had her cell, I had my door's locked, I had Miroku put locks on my windows on Sunday night, I had Sesshoumaru's cell – I was fine. So I didn't know why he seemed so concerned, but now it looked like I'd finally convinced him.

"Then I have something to propose," he started and there was a sudden firmness in his tone that made me instantly wary. _I suddenly get the feeling that I counted my chickens before they hatched…_

"I unfortunately must attend to some business for my Father in Greece. Rin and I'll be leaving tomorrow morning and be gone until Thursday evening so I wanted to see what your arrangements were for the next couples of days," he began. "But since you say that you don't have anyone that can stay with you then I ask that you come with us."

I sucked in a breath so hard and so fast that I choked. _Yes, on my own spit. Yeah, that's right; don't even try to pretend that you've never done it!_

"Kagome," Sesshoumaru murmured, "are you all right?"

"Yeah," cough, "I'm fine," I choked out as I pounded my chest lightly. "Um, can you repeat that last bit for me, because I don't think I heard you right. I mean, call me crazy but I could have sworn that you just asked me to go with you to Greece," I laughed.

"Your ears are quite fine then," was his calm reply.

"Uh," I said charmingly.

"Do you have a passport?"

"Un," I answered numbly.

"I don't want you left alone while I'm gone. I know, you're probably starting to feel smothered, I'm not surprised and I don't blame you, but I can tell you right now he's not done with you. With men like Naraku after this last incident he's only going to be more determined to get you and he'll be far more angry this time," he sighed and I grew warm despite myself, knowing that Sesshoumaru was worried about me.

"He's staying away for now – there are a couple of reasons that I can think of and one of them is that he knows I'm involved. He knows I asked Kikyo to work on the case. He also knows that I'll personally come after him if he tries anything, but Kagome," he pleaded, "I can't protect you when I'm out of the country. And if he finds out I'm gone I wouldn't be surprised if he decided it was the opportune moment to strike out at you again. You know how strong he is – your door might not hold up against him if he had enough time."

"But I can't just go with you to Greece," I spluttered.

"Why not?" he countered, "You aren't going to school for a few days as it is. If you come with me I can keep you safe. The dogs can stay with Inuyasha. Think of it as a chance to relax."

"But I can't just go with you to Greece," I cried. _Yes, I **am** repeating things. You know what they say, 'Try, try again.' _

He laughed then, "Well, why?"

"Be – because," I stuttered, "it's – it's just crazy! I can't go with you to Greece! How inappropriate would _that_ look?"

I could just imagine that perfect white eyebrow arching incredulously as he asked, "I don't know what you're insinuating, Kagome. Rin will be there and you'll have your own room of course." As he finished his voice trembled with amusement and I knew he was teasing me. I of course reacted.

Cheeks on fire I protested, "I wasn't insinuating anything, but you know how people can talk. The parents at the school for instance."

"They don't need to know," he countered.

"What if – what if - gosh, I don't know. What if one of your many paparazzi found out and put it in a paper?"

He chuckled and I added, "Do you realize how much hate mail I would get?"

At that he burst out laughing out right, "Kagome," he gasped, "If parents and paparazzi are all that you're worried about then I can assure you it'll be fine. Please, I'll beg if I have to."

"Why in the world would you do that?" I scoffed.

"Because," he murmured in an 'isn't it obvious' tone, "I don't want anything to happen to you and I'm willing to do anything to make sure that nothing happens – begging would be the least."

That confession from him, the man that others knew for his strength and prowess, for his powerful control over everything, touched me deeply. Here was the man that bowed to no one, and he was willing to beg me to do something just so that he could keep me safe… Under that pressure I couldn't' keep myself from cracking.

"But it's expensive," I tried one last argument.

"I would pay far more to keep you with me and know that you were safe," he replied in a voice that made a shiver run up my spine and set several butterflies fluttering in my stomach. "I'll buy the ticket then and be at your house tomorrow at 7, is that alright?"

"Er," I stumbled over my leaden tongue. _What in the world?! I'm going to Greece tomorrow – with Sesshoumaru and Rin. This is just **way** too fast._

"Oh, maybe earlier? That's right, you love getting up _really_ early, I forgot," he stated cheerfully.

"Hey," I grumbled, "that's just cruel."

"I promise I'll bring you a fresh, hot cup of Zombie Tonic," he continued to tease.

"If you were here, " I grumbled, pretending to be annoyed, "I'd smack you."

"Hn," was his only reply – obviously he didn't feel threatened – before he said gently, "I'll see you in the morning at 7 then. Don't forget to pack a swimsuit."

"Right 7-" I started.

"Goodnight Kagome," he purred and I got dreamy eyed again. _Wish I could hear **that** every night,_ I thought dreamily wistful. _Oh great, I've turned into such a **sap**!_

"Goodnight," I mumbled as I growled mentally at myself. He hung up and I sat there for a few moments before something he'd said struck me like a brick.

"Swimsuit?" I muttered, head tilted pensively. "Swimsuit?!"

"

"

"

"Sango!" Kagome's voice cried frantically over the phone and I jumped up from my chair, heart pounding in my ears as I ran for my keys and my purse, ready to charge out the door and –

"Sesshoumaru's making me go with him to Greece tomorrow!"

_What the?_

"Huh?" I asked dumbly, blinking rapidly as I stood in the middle of my entryway, purse slung hastily over one arm, keys in one hand while I wrestled a pump onto my foot with the other.

"Swimsuit!" she cried and I couldn't tell whether she was excited or bemoaning.

"Swimsuit?" I questioned, kicking my shoe off and ignoring it as it slammed into the door with a loud, 'thump!' Someone out in the hall yelped in surprise and I couldn't help but grin. The neighbor and his girlfriend must have been making out in the hallway again. I never would understand how it seemed to be _so_ hard for those two to just get the keys out _first_.

"Swimsuit! Greece! Tomorrow!" she shouted frantically.

"This is not a game of Outburst, Kagome," I snorted. "Now, what are you talking about?"

She took a deep breath before she started, "Sesshoumaru's making me go with him to Greece tomorrow because he's worried that Naraku will try to do something to me because I pissed him off, and he thinks that if Naraku finds out that he's not in the country that he would decide it was the perfect time to get back at me. But – Sango – swimsuit!"

I smacked my hand on my forehead, "Kags, I think that was what our English teacher would have called a run-on sentence. My gosh, and you're teaching our youth…"

"Sango," she cried, "you don't understand!"

"What?" I asked, arching an eyebrow, "Swimsuit?"

"Oh good," she gushed, "You got it!"

"No, not really my dear. But to get to that poor mangled thing that you called a sentence – I think Sesshoumaru's thinking is right. As much as I hate to admit it Naraku isn't one to be deterred by a lawyer and a bitten hand. The sleazeball," I finished with a growl as I set myself back down on the couch. "By the way, you gave me a _heart attack_ when you called," I laughed, "I thought you were in trouble or something."

"But Sango," she wailed, "I can't go to Greece! I can't believe I let him talk me into this! I need to call him and say 'no'."

"I forbid you," I growled, "You'll have the time of your life and we'll all feel a hundred times better knowing that you're safe. You're going."

"But what if _people_ find out?"

"They'll get over it, for crying out loud Kagome, get excited already," I snorted.

"But I can't just let him buy me a ticket to Greece! That's expensive!"

"Yeah, so enjoy it, you dolt," I laughed. "You should go pack that swimsuit."

Her only response was a groan. "Oh come on, you know why your mind keeps getting stuck on that one little word," I started slyly.

"Sango," she grumbled.

"You just can't get the image out of your head," I continued, gleefully ignoring the warning in her voice.

"Don't even go-"

"Him, there, in the blue, blue ocean in nothing but a pair of-"

'Click!' – 'Beep..Beep..Beep..'

"

"

"

I'd never been to Europe before and I'd never flown first class either. It was, needless to say, enjoyable flying with Rin and Sesshoumaru but it was _long_ and I found myself getting restless towards the end of the flight.

The trip to Rome took almost 13 hours while the trip to Athens took another two and then from there, one hour later, our little Turboprop plane arrived in Santorini's small airport. Sesshoumaru hailed a taxi and we rode to the town of Imerovigli, seven kilometers from the airport, where he was going to be conducting his business.

_Buying a resort hotel…hmm... What a job._

Apparently his Dad had a love for the little island we were staying at and well, I'd seen postcards of Santorini, I couldn't say that I blamed the man. It was getting close to 8 in the evening when we checked into Pegasus Suites, the place he was hoping to buy.

It was stunningly beautiful and charming in a way that I'd never imagined possible. Built down the side of the cliff, it was built in a traditional style with arches and white walls and balconies. On our long flight Sesshoumaru had told me some information about our destination and so when I looked out at the ocean I knew at least what I was looking at. The town we were in, Imerovigli, is the highest village on the Caldera of Santorini and therefore is known to be one of the best viewing points on the island. From Pegasus we had a breathtaking view of the Aegean Sea as well as the volcano and the famous St. Nikolaos Byzantine monastery with its beautiful blue dome. Softly radiant white lights made the building glow with an enchanted light while around the elegant pool tables with white patio umbrellas were set up, large white and yellow candles lit and tastefully placed on the dark wooden surfaces. The inside was just as beautiful, furnished in the classic Cycladic style and filled with old antique furniture it was stunning in its bright, stark white with dark accents; dark wood furniture and blue trim, Greek patterns on the off-white floors, arches with billowing curtains and softly glowing lamps all created a feeling of elegance that still managed to feel homey.

The staff helped us to our suites and I was a little relieved – and guilty all at once because I knew it cost more – when I found that Sesshoumaru had kept his word and booked a separate room for me next door. I was beginning to realize as they led me inside that the Pegasus was a place for romance and I didn't know how it would've been if I'd had to _share_ a space with Sesshoumaru. The Pegasus only has 19 _rooms_, suites that range from the _simple_ two bedroom apartments to standard suites to private outdoor studios with Jacuzzi to the grandest suite, the Presidential Cave Suite. Oh and yes, how could I forget, the Honeymoon Suites.

_This place is a death trap for anyone who doesn't want to feel romantic,_ I thought as I walked into the room following the young man who was carrying my bags. White walls, blue wood trim, a living room with an elegant divan, a kitchenette, and a queen size bed – that was called a _room_. It was nearly the size of my apartment. Oh and that wasn't it either, because on the other side of that adorable Greek style door I had my own private balcony with chairs and table – decorated with large, thick white candles and sea shells of course – with a gorgeous view of the sea. And then of course the bathroom – with a Jacuzzi bathtub.

There were red roses on my bed, candles set around the tub, arched windows with candles, elegant urns placed in just the right spots – everything was a swirl of tasteful design that left you feeling refreshed and thinking that you'd surely found your way into paradise.

And that you wanted romance. Now.

_What have I gotten myself into? I'm here at an unbelievably romantic place with Sesshoumaru... Thank goodness Rin's here…_

"

"

"

This was bad. Very bad. This was a place for lovers, newly weds – sure it was a wonderful place to vacation by yourself or with family as well, but if you wanted romantic this was the place. The warm air swept over the ocean and mixed with the sound of the waves, the roses, the little terraces and balconies and massive arched windows where you and a lover could sit and kis – and those damned candles – everything just spelled "get in the mood."

_Oh dear._

"

"

"

The place was gorgeous! It wasn't too fancy so it still felt really comfortable yet exotic and beautiful. Sighing happy I leapt onto the massive bed and into the mass of fluffy, white blankets. Picking up one of the red roses that was set on the bed I twirled it in my fingers before grinning and looking up at my father, "Look Dad, they gave us roses!"

For some reason he twitched at the sight and I pondered over it for a moment before it clicked. This hotel was like what you might see in the movies when people go away on their honeymoon. In fact, I remembered Dad explaining the Pegasus to Kagome on the plane and he'd said something about Honeymoon suites. This was a place for romance and magic all up against the beautiful backdrop of the cerulean dome of sky and the endless cobalt and ice of the Aegean Sea!

_Ahaha. This is great!_

"

"

"

I was in the café on the 21st floor of our building carrying my tray over to a little two-seat table by the window so I could look out over the nighttime view of downtown. Sitting down, my tray just touching the table, a voice coming from directly behind me startled me but the only outward sign of my surprise was a slight twitch, "Inuyasha."

_What in the world? This is definitely a first... _

"Sagai-san, do you usually sneak up on people when they're getting ready to eat?" I asked as I picked up my coffee and took a sip before I turned to look over my shoulder.

She scowled at me – already in a fine mood, _wow_ – before she sighed with long suffering, "May I join you for a moment?"

In the middle of another sip of coffee I choked and nearly sent out a spray of coffee – but miraculously managed to keep it in my mouth. Coughing roughly I tried to hide my surprise, motioning for her to have a seat. She gave me a condescending look before she moved to take the chair, sitting down with impressive grace as she placed a sandwich of her own on the table.

"So," I coughed, voice rough, "what brings you here and inspires you to sit at my table?"

"What is your brother's relationship with my cousin?" she asked, eyes calculating, watching my reaction.

_Well- what? Who's your cousin? Dolt._

"How much I know about that would depend on if I knew who your cousin was," I shrugged and she sighed.

"Of course, nobody here knows... Kagome Higurashi is my cousin. Does that clear it up for you now?"

"Oh," I mouthed, deciding for once that I wouldn't tease her too much today. My father's words had left me wary of too much teasing. _The last thing I want is for people to think that I could actually be flirting with the woman. Heaven forbid._

"Crystal clear," I murmured, biting into my croissant sandwich. Chewing thoughtfully I watched as her eyebrow twitched slightly. _My goodness, no patience today I see._

"Well," she barked after another half minute.

_Chew, chew, chew – one must always chew thoroughly for the sake of proper digestion – chew, chew, chew._

"Inuyasha," she growled, eyebrows pulled down into a scowl.

_Swallow. Mmmm that was delicious._ "Why do you want to know Sagai-san?"

Her whole face twisted into a scowl that would've been intimidating if I didn't enjoy the removal of the ' emotionless mask' so much. Instead I just smiled and added, "Surely it isn't professional reasons that inspire you to ask the question or you would've asked my brother himself. And how do you know about them anyway? Was there a tabloid somewhere?"

"He didn't tell you then?" she asked, slight surprise replacing the scowl.

"Didn't tell me what?" I laughed, taking another bite.

"About the attack on Kagome," she replied calmly and got the – no doubt – satisfaction of seeing me choke for a second time in just a few minutes.

"Attack on – what the?" I finally managed to choke out, eyebrows up in alarm.

"Naraku attacked Kagome this weekend and Sesshoumaru asked me to take on the case. He said that she was someone important to him, so what is their relationship exactly?" she asked, eyeing me with a mixture of disgust and pity as I thumped my chest in an attempt to stop the coughs that still stole my breath.

"Hold up there sweetheart," I coughed, "Naraku did what?!"

"He attacked Kagome at a club on Friday night and attempted to force himself on her. She got away with only a hard slap to the face after she bit him but I want to know what –"

"Yes, yes, relationship," I waved my hand at her, rolling my eyes. "Why were you surprised my brother didn't say anything?"

"Well, you are brothers after all," she rolled her eyes back at me. _Oh look. Kikyo isn't always a robot. Aww…_ "I expected he would tell you."

"Ha," I scoffed, "Yes, we're brothers and we get along a hundred times better than we did when we were younger but _honestly_ I don't think there's any reason for him to tell me about Kagome unless he wanted my help protecting her. She might not like having the information broadcasted," I shrugged and was immensely amused when I saw the guilty look flash across Kikyo's face.

"I suppose so," she mumbled, looking disgruntled. "But what is their –"

"I never would've taken you for a curious romantic Kikyo. Was I wrong to think you incapable," I asked, eyebrow quirked.

She grew furious, eyebrows pulling into a furious scowl as her mouth drew into a thin, flat line that turned down just at the corners. "Inuyasha, do you always have to be such an imbecile?"

"Yes," I answered smoothly and her eyebrow twitched. _Mmm, the smell of a thunderstorm… Kikyo's angry and I'm not even trying._

"Just tell me," she ground out between her clenched teeth.

"They aren't dating if you want to be technical, but given time I think they will be," I shrugged. "Now, tell me why you want to know so badly? It can't have anything to do with your case."

Squirming slightly she grumbled, "I have my reasons."

"Sure you do," I smirked.

"I need to know what to say when the press finds out that I'm her lawyer. They're going to want to know why Taisho & Sons' head lawyer is taking the case," she glowered.

"I suppose so, yes," I continued to smirk, once again playing dumb – not letting go of the bone, that's right. "Or maybe you're just using that as an excuse so that you satisfy your curiosity." _And here we drop the dumb act for a moment…_

"I assure you I would never ask because of such ridiculous reasons," she sniffed, nose in the air.

"So what are you going to tell the press if I may be so bold as to ask?" I asked, tone smug. I couldn't help but laugh when she blanched. _That's right, _I thought, _you would only tell them that they were friends anyway. You'd never say anything else._

"Inuyasha," she growled, "the way you're questioning me at this point I would almost think that you had something in that hollow head of yours – if only a little bit."

I laughed, "Maybe you don't me as well as you think you do." I winked, standing up from the table, my half eaten sandwich in my hand as I turned to leave.

After my comment her mouth had been slightly agape, eyes staring blankly – in short it had been the perfect place to make my exit. I didn't want her suspecting too much after all, that would put an end to my games.

"

"

"

A knock on my door as I was unpacking my bags startled me slightly and I turned to find Rin peeking around the door, "Kagome, Dad was wondering if you were feeling up for a snack or if you wanted to sleep?"

Looking at my watch that was still set on Japan's time I laughed, "It's past 3 in the morning."

Her eyes widened slightly, "Oh, so you want to go to bed?"

"No," I waved my hand dismissively, "I'm in Greece. I'm going to take advantage of it. Just let me change my clothes – maybe twenty minutes?"

"Ok," she chirped happily and I could hear her skip merrily to their room next door, shutting their door with a click. Rummaging in my bags I found the ice blue dress that I'd packed – a little ruche, matte jersey dress with a sweet heart neckline and airy, cascading ruffles that flowed and swirled as you walked – appropriate because it went to around your knees but enticing because it showed off just enough to make people take notice – well at least that was the reaction I'd gotten the few times I'd worn it. It was a dress that was perfect for the beach and that's why I'd packed it.

After I'd gotten over my initial shock about going to Greece and resigned myself to it I'd decided that I was going to make the best of this 'vacation' and was going to pack accordingly. This meant cute, fun clothes that were perfect for the beach and for vacationing in the Mediterranean area – in other words bright colors and good in the heat. Besides when you were with someone like Sesshoumaru, who looked flawlessly stunning no matter what, you didn't exactly feel inspired to dress like you normally do on a Saturday morning when you crawl out of bed with your hair making you look like Medusa. At least when you were in a place like Greece… Comfort was good since it was a vacation but I wanted to look _good_ while I was comfortable. But, well, at home on a Saturday? That's a completely different story – no one's going to inspire me to dress up, they'll just have to deal with my pjs and slippers and serious case of bed-head, thank you very much!

Slipping into the dress and tying it behind my neck before I zipped it up the back I went to the vanity and did my make-up, contemplatively running my hands through my hair. Deciding to leave it down I went back to my bags and slipped into my little silver ankle-strap sandals with tall reflecting heels before I turned to leave my room, purse over one arm. Pulling open the door and simultaneously charging forward with gusto I found Sesshoumaru with his hand raised to knock – and only a few inches away.

Looking mouth-watering of course.

_What else?_

His eyes widened for a moment before he stared and to be quite honest I was doing the same thing. Dressed in a casual dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up and the first two buttons left undone, a pair of soft black slacks, and some simple leather shoes – in something so simple and understated – he managed to, once again, look like he'd just walked out of a modeling magazine.

_How does he do that?_

I was ripped from my ogling however when a strong arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me close as he brought his face down to mine, eyes so warm that I felt my cheeks immediately redden, "You look beautiful."

"  
"  
"

Eating at a restaurant called the Blue Note, owned by the Spiliotica Apartment and Suites nearby, we got a beautiful view of the sea under the light of the quarter moon, the sound of the waves a lulling rumble in the background while we ate our candle light dinner of traditional Greek food. I'd never had Greek food before – it's not something you can usually find in Japan – so I was eager to try everything.

Since it was Rin's first trip as well we decided to order things for everyone to try a little bit of each. Starting with the appetizers of _dolmathes_, rolled grape leaves stuffed with rice, baked _feta_ with slices of onions and tomato, and _keftedes_, fried meatballs, we moved onto the _fakkes_ and _kakavia_ soup. After that our meals arrived, _bourekakia_, minced meat stuffed in a fyllo pastry, _boutaki arniou me tiri_, leg of lamb with cheese, and _souvlaki_, a lamb kebab served with warm pita bread, onions, tomatoes, and _tzatziki_. To top it all off – even though we were all dying from our gorge fest – we finished the meal with a piece of _baklava_ each, an incredibly sweet pastry made of heavily spiced almonds layered in thin fyllo pastry and dripping with honey and other sweeteners. It even made my sweet tooth hurt, an impressive feat, but it was delicious.

I was so full though that I felt like I could explode so when the music grew louder and some people got up to dance I was completely content to just watch. Unfortunately Sesshoumaru had other plans. Capturing my small hand in his large one he drew me out of my chair, a wicked grin on his face as he asked, "Have you ever seen Greek dancing Kagome?"

"No," I murmured, eyeing him worriedly. "I haven't."

"Well, why don't you give it a try? You're wearing that lovely dress after all so you should dance," he smiled and his golden eyes danced impishly as he pulled me toward the floor canopied with strings of golden lights.

"It looks a bit complicated," I began to protest before a woman saw me balking and pulled me onto the floor, a large, friendly grin warming her face as she said something to me in a language I didn't recognize. Sesshoumaru nodded to her in thanks before he turned to me and pinned me with that stunning smile that never failed to leave me breathless.

"You'll be fine," he chuckled, "I know you can dance. Just follow everyone else."

_Easier said than done,_ I thought as I moved along beside him, one hand captured in his while the other was held by the kind woman, everyone moving in a line, legs moving in rhythmic steps and kicks. Despite my misgivings, in time I fell into the flow of the music, the swirl of the dance, and soon there was nothing but the foreign music in my ears, the movement, and the man who held my hand.

"

"

"

Blue eyes sparkling as she danced, steps in rhythm with the music, skirt flaring when she spun or kicked, hair falling around her shoulders in a silken cascade of midnight, pale skin glowing under the moonlight and the strands of light held above the floor, she was the most bewitching creature I'd ever known and I found myself trapped in her spell yet again – and I had no intention of getting out.

"

"

"

Not long after we returned to the hotel I was sitting in one of the little wooden chairs on my balcony, looking out over the unbelievable vista of sea and sky, and felt completely content yet completely lacking – something was missing.

"Enjoying the view," a low baritone voice, smooth as the velvet sky above asked from the balcony doorway.

My lungs froze as I turned around to see the man that had startled me half to death and I forced the malfunctioning organs to take in a deep breath before I managed to say, "Yes, it's incredible."

"May I join you?" he smiled, the light of the moon reflecting in the pools of gold.

"Of course," I chuckled as I waved him towards the other seat.

Sitting his tall form down in the chair with surprising grace he looked out at the ocean before he spoke, "It's exquisite isn't it?"

"Yes, I can see why your father likes it so much," I smiled as I too, turned my gaze out to the ever-changing sea.

He chuckled, "So Kagome, where are some places you love? Places you've dreamt of going to?"

"Me?" I asked surprised as I turned and found those warm eyes focused on me.

"Yes, you," he laughed quietly.

"Well," I started hesitantly, "I've always wanted to go to several places in Europe… Venice, Sicily and Rome, England, Spain, and I'd seen pictures of Greece before and thought it looked beautiful, but to be honest I didn't know much about it… I like ruins so I've always wanted to go to Egypt and Machu Picchu in Peru," I paused thoughtfully before continuing with my very long list, "I'd also love to see Huangshan The Yellow Mountains, the Li River, and some of the deserts in China as well as several places in India. There was also one place that I saw in a magazine once. It looks like you're walking in the sky."

"Oh, in Bolivia?" he asked with a smile.

"Yes, Salar de Uyuni was the name I think…How about you Mr. Taisho," I asked playfully, eyebrow arched.

He laughed and said, "Well I've been to Italy before but I've never been to Venice or Sicily so I'd love to go their – especially to a small town where you could get away from all of the touristy spots. I love Egypt and Machu Picchu as well – you never tire of going there. I also love parts of China and Thailand and India. I'd like to visit the Olympic National Park in Washington and the Rocky Mountains – I've only been to the dry areas in Nevada so I'd like to see more. New Zealand is also beautiful," he smiled and picked up one of the seashells on the table, examining it closely.

"Wow," I smiled, "it would be nice to see the world like that... I still feel guilty about you bringing me here though – it's so expensive."

"I already told you not to worry about that," he chuckled and suddenly I found my hand, which had been resting on the table, in the warm hold of his own. "As long as you enjoy yourself here I couldn't be more happy to have you with us," he purred and despite the warm ocean air I felt a pleasant shiver run down my back.

"I'm having the time of my life," I said quickly, not wanting him to think I was ungrateful or unhappy.

"Good," he smiled. "Where should we go next then?"

"What?" I looked at him dumbly.

"Out of all those places you listed," he said calmly, voice warm and gentle as he gazed at our joined hands. "Which one would you like to go to first?"

"Huh?" _My ears…my gosh I think I need to get a hearing aid… Must be all of that club dancing…_ "I'm sorry I think I'm not hearing you correctly."

"Really Kagome," he laughed, "Have a little faith in your hearing."

"Well, it keeps sending me ridiculous messages so what else can I think," I countered.

"So where would you like to –"

"No, seriously," I mumbled.

"I am serious," he laughed. "Is it so hard to believe that I'd like to go somewhere else with you?"

"Well, yes and no," I muttered. _He has no idea does he? How many girls would kill to hear those words roll of his gorgeous lips…_

"Egypt perhaps? In the winter during the school break?" he asked, eyebrow arched in inquiry.

_Shite. He's serious!_

"Are you serious?" I squeaked.

"Quite," he laughed. "Would it interest you?"

_Would it **interest **me? Do cows eat grass?!_

"Yes of course, but-"

"Well then, when we get back we should look into it," he smiled warmly, eyes happy.

_First Greece, then Egypt… Ok, this is just beyond unbelievable…_

And then he broke me out of my trance by pulling my hand to his lips. It was a simple kiss on the back of the hand, but coming from him it was more than enough to turn me into a pile of goo – which I proceeded to do.

_Oh my go-_ _If I died right now… Oh dear… Mmm… Kiss me?_

He stood up then, those smoldering gold eyes trapping mine as he moved to stand in front of me, and in a smooth motion, his hand still holding mine as he pulled me to me feet for the second time that night, he pulled me close. Wrapping his arms around my waist and bowing his head he brought his nose to mine and spoke in a husky voice that made me more than weak, "Goodnight Kagome." And with those two words he brought his lips down onto mine and I realized that I didn't feel like I was missing something anymore. I had it right here –the thing I'd been missing. He was here – holding me in his arms.

≈**Ω≈**

**§ End Chapter §**

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**§**

**§**

Yay! Checked it twice now – but I didn't find a ton of mistakes so I don't know if that means there wasn't much or if I'm still missing it, lol, hopefully the former and not the latter ( '-' )v

First, sorry it took me so long – and I know it's a little bit short but to be honest I'm drained – completely and wholly, haha. Find myself brain-dead these days and I know exhaustion makes me FAR less articulate and eloquent so – my deepest apologies.

m( - - )m

Also, as far as it being a bit shorter – just onto 31 pages – I'm terribly sorry about that but I felt like it was the best place to stop for now. So hopefully no one will be too terribly upset with me! (O O) Plus, I can't always write 36 page long chapters, haha. Sorry!

**Then I would like to address some things**: a reviewer on mediaminer mentioned that I made a big boo-boo on chapter 8 where I accidentally said that Rin was 7 but she's 6 – I felt like an idiot and went back and fixed it so if that confused anyone I'm terribly sorry (and embarrassed, haha). They also mentioned that I should explain that in Japan the school season is different – it starts in April and ends at the end of January or March(? I go to college so my schedule's different and it's been a while since I've looked up the normal school schedule) – a break in the summer – sometimes a small break in December and then one at New Years – and then a bit of a break before the year starts again in April – So! ( '-' )v Rin is still Kagome's student because she's only halfway through the year with the Japanese schedule.

Also I'd like to address a comment made by an anonymous reviewer here, since I can't write them back in a message – I'm also addressing the point here because if one person thinks it, they probably aren't alone, so I'd like to explain it to everyone in the hope that maybe my writing might make more sense. You said that you felt my portrayal of Rin was too sly – something more commonly seen as a characteristic of Shippou – and that she should try to be more subtle, shy, and less confident… I appreciate you being honest with me and letting me know how you feel…However, I hope that you won't be angry with me for sticking to her characterization as I have her now. I agree with you that she_ is_ unusual for the typical portrayal of Rin ( '-' )v I know this, but I rather like her this way as it provides opportunities for amusement and awkward situations – I was also trying to do something different in this story. Also, since by the end of chapter 8 I'd already reached 235 pages of writing I feel like it would be unnatural for me to suddenly change Rin… I hope that I haven't made you angry and please don't think that I didn't seriously sit down and consider your words – because I did – I always try to really look at everyone's opinions and ideas so I've been agonizing over yours because I don't think that I can change Rin. Please know though that I do appreciate your honesty and the time that you took to write me. (With Sincerest Apologies)

And to Ginrei: Thank you for such a sweet review and for the support! It means so much! ( '-' )v That's so cool that you know Moss Burger! I really wish they had them in Iowa…I'm going to miss them too ( ;- -; ) so sad…

In conclusion – EVERYONE! TWO HUNDRED AND FIVE REVIEWS – I can't believe it! So for all of you: A big, huge, eardrum shattering "THANK YOU!" for all of the wonderful reviews and pm's! I love hearing everyone's comments, thoughts, ideas, and opinions so thank you! It was wonderful! Also, I want to apologize again if this chapter is rotten and even more full of mistakes than normal – but hopefully it's ok – you've all been wonderfully kind about it so far! ( '-' ) ( quits cringing behind her flowery futon and mass of pillows, hugging her giant Sirotan seal in a death grip as she peers cautiously over the top to see the reader's reaction)…(just playing!  
( '-' )v I love you guys! \( '-' )/ )

Yours truly and with much love,

the walking, talking carcass in all of its glory – bloopers and blunders galore,

Alyce

p.s. you have all been wonderfully sweet and forgiving about my blunders and bloopers for this chapter and for those in the past so thank you, thank you, thank you – I love you all! \( '-' )/ hug!

**Author's note: **

**Time change:** Greece is 7 hours behind Japan so if you are on a trip that starts at 9 (goes for 17 hours) and ends at 2 a.m. Japan time then it is 7 p.m. in Greece – times goes back and not forward so it's the same day you started out. ( '-' ) I hope I did all the math alright – my apologies if I didn't but I looked at plane tickets and the world clock so hopefully it's fairly accurate ( '-' )v

The **Pegasus Suites** is a real place in Imerovigli, Santorini – only a kilometer from the capitol of Fira. It's gorgeous and I really want to go there. Haha. And it really looks romantic – in this elegant/quaint way that I can't quite figure out how they pull it off. I really never would have thought to put quaint and elegant together but they make it work – really well ( '-' )v

(have a look for yourself by clicking on the link on my account ( '-' )v )

**The Blue Note** and the **Spiliotica Hotel** that owns it are also real. ( '-' ) But I was bad and gave them strands of little lights and decided that dancing was in order – I place complete and total blame on my muse that went on a rampage this afternoon – something that I was helpless to stop. Ahem.

**Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia** is somewhere I really would love to go… I don't know much about it – I've just seen photos. If you'd like to see what it is or see a video with it there's this hilarious/wonderful/beautiful video on youtube called (and I quote): Where the Hell is Matt? It opens up with him walking in Salar de Uyuni so there you go – you should check it out. It made me smile. ( '-' ) Even though some might call it strange…Haha.

( will also have a link on my account )

**Ramses and Nefret**: are two main characters in the **Amelia Peabody** series by Elizabeth Peters – the main characters are British but even though the author is American the books still falls under the classification of 'English' novel – you could take it both ways (English as in the language or English as in the UK). But anyway, those books are the reason behind some of the odd language that Kagome sometimes uses – for instance back in chapter 2 when she says 'cheeky bugger' and says something about reading British novels. Although the Peabody books aren't _technically_ British they do use British English so as far as vocabulary goes they work the same way. She does read actual British novels as well though ( '-' )v (Yes, I am a dork, dear heavens (O o) )

**Food!**

For the food that I didn't explain in the text:

_fakkes_: lentil soup in a tomato base

_kakavia_: fish & vegetable soup

tzatziki: a dipping sauce made from non-sweetened yogurt and cucumbers with a little bit of vinegar, olive oil, and garlic – can be served as an appetizer or as a condiment with gyros and pitas and kebabs (as far as I know but I could definitely be wrong – I've eaten it like that before – all three ways – and I can at least tell you that it's DELICIOUS)

For a video of Greek dancing you can go to account for a link to a cute one on youtube.

( '-' )d

Well, that's it for Chapter 9 and the author's notes (a bloody tome that) , hopefully no one is (too) disappointed with this chapter ( '-' )v Please let me know what you think though (still peering out from behind futon – squeezing Sirotan so hard his little black, button eyes look like they're going to fly off any minute – "_I've never written romance before and I haven't a bloody clue what I'm doing…"  
lol_ (O O) Really. No idea. ( - - ;) Flying by the seat of my pants...) I'll be waiting to hear your thoughts and opinions and until next time, take care and much love! As always, yours.

Thank you, thank you, thank you all!

\( '-' )/


	10. Chapter 10

Everyone: I'm soooo sorry it took me so long – I'll explain in detail at the end so please read at the end, it's bit long though – sorry!

(T T) Also thank you sooo much for the incredible reviews! I love u guys!

Disclaimer: a true tragedy – I don't own them. If I did well, I wouldn't be writing here now would I? I'd be writing an actual published book, haha. Don't sue me please ( '-' )

≈Ω≈

Chapter 10:

Bloopers and Blunders: The Fate of the Tongue Tied and Those In Denial

≈§≈

_Greece,_ I decided happily as I crept out on the suite's large, elegant balcony, _is heaven on earth. No joke._ Reaching the railing that ran around the balcony with strategically placed plant holders I took in the beautiful scenery that this paradise had to offer my keen eyes.

The Aegean sea stretched out far, far into the beyond, white topped waves dancing silver in the moon light, growing smaller and smaller with distance until the sea appeared to be a giant piece of blue-black glass that went all the way to the horizon. The scent of salt and water filled my sensitive nostrils as the wind blew off the ocean, twirling and winding lazily while it moved over the island, stirring my hair in its wake. High above the moon was suspended, its white light casting a soft spell, as the sound of the waves, crashing against the rocks far below, was a drumbeat in my ears, a rhythm, a pulse. The most beautiful thing of all however was the sight of a man gathering a woman into his arms as he captured her lips with his in a, _dare I say_, passionate kiss. And the most wonderful sound that mingled with the beat of the waves far below, was the beat of two hearts pounding violently against two rib cages as the couple embraced, the woman's gasp stolen by the playful wind that pulled at their hair, white and black swirling together under the moonlight.

And now you know why I'd 'crept.' And no doubt understand the wickedly happy grin of triumph that spread my lips so widely that I thought surely my face would split. _Oh yes, Greece. Greece was definitely the place to be._

"

"

"Sir," Kagura's cold voice interrupted my perusal of the papers on my desk, "the charges just arrived. Would you like me to give them to you now or later?"

Growling I held out a hand demandingly and glared as she strode into the room, handing them to me with a face twitching in indignation. Taking them from her I said nothing, clearly dismissing her and was promptly rewarded a few moments later when the door clicked shut. Opening the package – an easy task with my hands – I pulled out the papers.

Crumpling the envelope as I set them on the table I took a deep breath to calm myself slightly. At least enough to keep myself from flying into a rage, which was I so close to doing. Teetering at the edge I began reading the accusations that the bitch dared to bring against me. To say that she would be sorry, well that was a sick understatement. Eyes roaming over the paper I couldn't stop the dark laugh that bubbled up out of my throat from deep within my chest.

_Stalking and assault/battery huh? Stalking's a new one. Oh Kagome,_ I smirked, setting the papers down on my desk as I began to tap my fingers thoughtfully on the hard wooden surface, _you should have learned. You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into this time, little temptress. _

"

"

"Sango," he purred, voice smooth as it caressed my ears, eliciting a shiver of pleasure despite the heat of the late summer air. We sat at a small table, just the two of us, at a beautiful restaurant's outdoor patio eating a candle light dinner of delicious Italian food and to say the least it was romantic. Of course with Miroku there we could have been eating a burger at a rundown diner and it would have been romantic to me. _Really,_ I thought with a dreamy sigh, _I am hopelessly crazy, over my head, dizzy, falling, drowning, utterly in love with him. Nobody else could make a cheap, greasy death burger seem romantic._

"Yes," I asked, kicking myself mentally. _Gotta follow the conversation here now Sango. Don't want him to ask you what you're thinking about – he's too good at catching your fibs. Unfortunately._

"Are you happy with me?" he asked, eyebrows knitted in worry. _Well that…that was unexpected… Wait a minute?! Wait, is he breaking up with me?_

Yes, I nearly started hyperventilating. It was either hyperventilate, faint, or have a heart attack, but to be honest I was so worried that I don't doubt I could have managed to do all three at once. I was saved at the brink of my panic attack however as his next words reached my ears.

"Because I'm unbelievably happy with you…" he murmured, voice rich as it flowed from his lips, a soothing balm on my snapping nerves.

_Oh thank God! _

"Of course I'm happy with you," I replied, my voice somewhere between a breathy sigh and a huff – being a bit miffed about his hand in my near panic attack. _Really, did he have to word it like THAT while he made THAT face? What else was I supposed to think?_

_Well, he is taking to you a ridiculously expensive restaurant,_ a snide voice quipped.

_Yeah, well, Miroku – as much as I love him – is not always normal. Who knows, maybe he could've been one of those weird guys that thinks a nice dinner will help him break the bad news more gently. There are guys out there like that! For instance, take that one guy that Miya dated back in –_

"Good, I'm so glad to hear it… The thing is Sango," he gulped, face growing nervous again and I felt my heart stutter in my chest once more.

"Yes," I asked, trying my damnedest to keep the apprehensive quiver out of my voice.

And failing miserably.

He tugged anxiously at his tie, pulling it into a crooked mess like he always did when under duress. _What did I do? We were having such a nice time and everything!_

"To be perfectly honest Sango… I," he began again, voice rough with uncertainty.

_Damn it just spit it out already! You're going to kill me if you don't hurry this up!_

"

"

_What if she says 'No,'? What are you going to do then you crazy love-struck fool? This is** not** something you should rush, _the voice ranted as I gazed across the table at her perfect face. The woman that was more important to me than anything… What would I do if I pushed her away by asking too soon?

But it was already too late, I'd already started and I could tell that she was terrified, just by looking at her. Me and my clumsy wording caused by my own anxiety had just about knocked her out of her chair, it was obvious – the way her face had grown pale, the muscle in her jaw jumping as she clenched it, the hitch in her breathing, all of it told me that she was nervous. Nervous of my words. But then, she said that she was happy too, so maybe she'd thought of something else...like I was going to dump her or something.

Of course she couldn't have been more wrong. Honestly, they made it look so damned easy in the movies. Take the girl to a nice restaurant, create the mood and then 'Poof!' the words just poured out and then you revealed that special little square box with a flourish and "Wallah!" that was it. Piece of cake, right? Simple as breathing, right?

WRONG.

Unbelievably WRONG.

The movies have it all WRONG. It's not easy. Your heart is lodged in your throat, you can't breath, your stomach is heaving and you feel like you could pass out – all at once. And then of course you have the wonderful voices dueling in your head, one telling you to get some balls and the other telling you to run away to live another day – preferably with your heart in tact and still able to beat.

No, this was by far the most exhausting, stressful, terrifying experience of my entire _life_.

"

"

"I, I'm more happy with you than maybe you can imagine…" he murmured, swallowing nervously before he continued. "The thing is Sango, that I can't imagine being with anyone else."

"Neither can I," I murmured hesitantly, my lungs stuttering while the butterflies danced around in my stomach with enough force to start a hurricane.

"For the rest of my life," he finished in a breathless voice, his face tight and the shoulders under the attractive dress shirt tense, muscles visibly taut under the smooth fabric. At his words, and the meaningful gaze that held my eyes captive I suddenly realized what this was all about…

The restaurant, the romantic setting, the way I'd caught him glancing nervously at me as many times as I'd caught him gazing at me warmly, the reason for his sudden apprehension, it all made so much sense – in the next heartbeat I collapsed, weak as a limp noodle, against the back of the high backed chair, my heart beating frantically while my hopes soared up beyond the clouds to dance with the stars.

_Please, _I thought frantically as I tried to get a hold of myself, _tell me he's doing what I think he's doing._

Swallowing noticeably once more he learned forward in his chair, his hands closed around something and my heart nearly jumped into my mouth, "Sango, will you give me the chance to make you as happy as I can for the rest of our lives? To live by your side until there's no breath left in me?"

_Oh my God, oh my God, oh my GOD!_ I prayed incoherently in my mind as I stared at the box, held so innocently in his hand, the lid pulled back to reveal a beautiful diamond and emerald ring. Eyes no doubt as big as the platter that sat in front of me I stared too shocked to even let my jaw drop. Stiff and limp all at once I tried to get in enough oxygen to form a coherent thought, to get my brain to open my mouth and move my tongue and lips to form that one very important word.

Yes.

"

"

When I woke up in the middle of that big queen sized bed with its plush pillows and silk sheets I was a bit disoriented. Sun light was pouring through the windows and the balcony door that I had left wide open, the wind moving off the sea in a gentle current that swept through my room, running soft fingers over my face as it tugged lightly at the long strands of black hair that were spread out over the pillows like a pool of ink. Rubbing my eyes to get the sleep out of them I realized that it wasn't early and I couldn't have been happier about it. _Now_, I thought sleepily, _the thing that would make my waking absolutely marvelous would be a big cup of coffee_.

Stretching, my arms reaching towards the white ceiling as I sat up, a yawn pushing its way past my lips I took a moment to gaze at the view through the door that was past the end of my bed. The sea was the most beautiful blue under the loving light of the sun that hung in an azure sky, void of clouds. Breathing in deeply the smell of salt and water tickled my nose and I sighed happily.

"Oh yeah," I smiled lazily, "I could get used to this."

Slipping out from under the blankets I went to my bag and pulled out a white shirt, a little smocked off-the-shoulder piece that complimented my figure nicely, and a sky blue peasant skirt, embroidered at the hem and falling in graceful layers to my mid-calf. Slipping them on I moved out to the balcony, leaned on the railing and closed my eyes for a moment as I basked in the sun and lost myself in the smell and sound of the ocean.

Until a familiar male voice, smooth and deep as it resonated from the broad chest that I knew so well, broke the hypnotism of the scenery surrounding us. And all of a sudden the events of the night before, that mind-blowing kiss, came flooding back and went straight to my cheeks as a fire engine red blush.

"Good morning Kagome." That was all he'd said. Those three little words and I had an involuntary shiver running warm, fiery fingers down my spine while my brain overloaded on the memories of the kiss. _How does he **do** that?!_

Fighting the vibrant blush that stained my cheeks I turned to face him, smiling brightly, "Good morning Sesshoumaru."

"We haven't eaten breakfast yet, and since you seem to be dressed how does brunch sound?" he smiled, a warm expression that reached his eyes. _Good grief, I could swoon right now._

"That sounds wonderful," I tried to keep smiling, repeating to myself over and over again to just act _normal_. To say the least being with him made what should have been such a simple task unbelievably difficult. "Is Rin already awake?"

"Yes," he chuckled, "she's in the shower though so she'll be a bit. Do you mind if I join you?" he motioned to indicate my balcony and I laughed.

"Of course, I'll unlock the door." Moving back into my room I walked to the door, pulling back the bolt and opened it to find Sesshoumaru approaching, one hand casually in his pocket, eyes warm and friendly. I didn't notice what he held in his other hand until he stuck it in mine, a large cup of warm coffee, and grinned impishly.

"Your morning brew," he chuckled lightly as he slipped an arm around my waist, shut the door and began moving me back to the balcony.

"How did you –"

"I thought you'd wake up soon so I started the machine in our room and kept it warm," he flashed a bright grin that left me breathless as we passed the door.

I opened my mouth to say something when he took the cup from my hand and set it on the table before he pulled me close, wrapping his arms around my waist in a gentle manner and bowing his head to mine, our foreheads touching as his eyes held my gaze. "You look as lovely as always Kagome," he purred, voice deep and warm enough to make me turn to goo.

Which I did - completely on the inside and quite a lot on the outside - as my legs grew wobbly. I opened my mouth to try and come up with a reply for _that_ comment – not that I probably could have, my mind being kind of put out of commission by the sexy immortal that was so close – scratch that, not 'kind of', 'completely' – when I found those full, warm lips capturing mine in a soft, tender kiss that radiated with affection.

Going absolutely blank I melted into his warm hold, my arms sliding around his waist, and surrendered myself to his attentions – pure bliss under the warm Greek sun.

Breaking the contact after several long, heady moments he pulled back just enough to rest his forehead on mine, eyes swirling heatedly and I knew that my eyes were no different as I stared up at him, my pulse flying at an insane pace, my blood warm, and my face flushed. Smiling a little dazedly I murmured, "Good morning to you, too."

A low chuckle bubbled up in his chest, breaking past his parted lips and caressing my ears with their mirth as he smiled in amusement, butting his nose against mine gently, "If one must say 'good morning' this is by far the best I've ever experienced."

I giggled, blushing slightly as I ran a hand through the silky strands of hair that fell down his back in a bright cascade, "I'd have to agree with you." _If I woke up to **that** type of treatment every morning, _I thought giddily, drunk on the rush his kiss had brought, _I know I would love getting up as much as any other morning person. Heck, I'd never hit the snooze button **again**._

_Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold up Miss Dreamy Dumb, you two aren't even **dating** yet,_ I thought frantically, trying to slam down on the brakes of that runaway thought that would lead to nothing good.

_Well, not technically, no, _a stubborn voice grumbled, _but for crying out loud, he's giving you **every** possible indication that he likes you. And that's something that even you, pessimist that you are, can't deny._

He was speaking again, I realized with a start and I quickly wrenched myself from my internal battle and tried to focus my very frayed attention on his _words_ and not his _lips_.

Damn they look _good._

_Ahem._ "How would you like to go to the beach today, after the auction we could all go together?" he was asking in that undeniably sexy voice that I could listen to quite happily forever.

_Focus._

"Oh, the beach," I smiled, a little miffed at how breathy and dreamy my voice came out –_ good grief I'm turning into a nitwit_ – and tried to correct with my next words, "that sounds wonderful." I failed. I failed royally. If only you could get prizes for failing, but alas, I just felt like a dork.

_It is completely unfair,_ I thought petulantly as I looked up into those molten gold depths, _how he can make me feel like I'm a dork completely in over my head when no one else's been able to do that. Not that I've had that many relationships – well make that any really – but I've never felt so disoriented before…Ungh._

"Good," he smiled and before I knew it his lips were brushing over mine gently, a feather's touch, before a strange sound reverberated from his chest and he moved forward, capturing my mouth in a searing kiss that left me dizzy.

He pulled back and opened his mouth to say something when another familiar voice piped up from the balcony next door, "Good morning Kagome."

My face grew several shades whiter while my cheeks grew ten shades redder as my heart thudded against my rib cage in surprise and mortification. _Oh my go-!_ I thought in horror as I turned to find Rin, eyes twinkling with mischief as a smile pulled on her lips, leaning casually against the railing while she watched us.

_She caught us again! A second time! Oh my go-!_ my brain continued to rant. _I think I'm going to pass out from embarrassment. Maybe if I close my eyes this will all just go away and –_

"Rin, are you ready for brunch?" Sesshoumaru asked, voice smooth, a slight tint of red on his high cheekbones the only sign that he was even somewhat flustered.

"Yes," she giggled. "I'm starving."

"Alright then," he smiled and the blush disappeared – if only I could have said the same for mine – before he turned to me and asked in that damned voice, "are we ready to go find some food?"

"Sure," I tried to smile naturally and had the feeling I failed miserably as amusement danced briefly through Sesshoumaru's eyes.

_Why me_, I thought miserably as his arms slipped away from my waist and I moved to walk back into my room, cheeks still on fire. Only a second later though, a strong arm slipped back around my waist, guiding me back inside and I looked up into those golden orbs that still danced with amusement and promptly decided that I had _nothing_ to be miserable about. How many other people got to have Sesshoumaru Taisho look at them like _that_ first thing in the morning?

"

"

I was on cloud nine. I was dancing in the stars. I was in paradise. I was the luckiest man _alive_! In short?

I was ENGAGED.

To the world's most unbelievable woman. Oh yeah, I could _not_ be happier right now. That terrifying, daunting task of actually forcing the words out of my dry mouth to _ask_ her had been well worth it the second her sweet lips formed that one word that brought all of my hopes and dreams to beautiful fruition. Who knew that one word, one nod, could make me feel like I was going to explode from happiness?

"

"

To put it lightly Greece had left me dizzy. I looked over at the regal man who sat in the car next to me, driving me back to my apartment Thursday night and couldn't help the flutter of paper-thin wings that danced about in my stomach. Officially we still weren't going out but…

Well, to put it nicely I'm often the densest, most clueless one of anybody when it comes to someone's feelings for me – I always seem to be the last one to know _for sure_, but then again, is that my fault? It's not like I've had that many guys that ended up being brave enough to do _something_ so maybe it's not my problem that I'm bad at figuring it out but, well, with Sesshoumaru I was now at the point of 'no denial'. It would be _beyond_ ridiculous to even _try_ to say that he was less than very interested. No, if you were only kind of interested you didn't kiss like _that_ – multiple times. And you don't look at the person like _that,_ making them melt helplessly each time. Not if you were a good guy – which Sesshoumaru was – so there you go. He was definitely interested without a doubt so even though we weren't dating yet I was pretty content.

Thinking about Greece I continued to stare at his perfect face. _Mmm,_ I thought dreamily as he felt my lingering gaze and turned to give me a dazzling smile. "Are you tired," he chuckled, probably thinking that my dazed look was due to the long flight. _Good alibi, _I thought with a dry laugh.

"A little," I replied truthfully, "but I feel really great," I finished with a smile of my own. That was the truth too, sure I felt dizzy and completely off-kilter because of Sesshoumaru but not in an unpleasant way. Far from it. My feeling at the moment was exactly what I would imagine walking on clouds would be like, light, relaxed, warm – safe.

"I'm glad that you were able to come along with us," he smiled, running a hand through his hair before returning it to the wheel while he turned smoothly into the lot at my apartment.

As he pulled the car into a space and put it in park I laughed, teasing, "_Able_ to come with you? I have the distinct memory that a certain businessman was doing everything he could do to –"

My joke was put to an end as he turned, arms snaking around my waist and pulling me forward, simultaneously bringing his lips down on mine in a playful kiss. Pulling away just enough to speak, his breath warm on my lips, he growled playfully as his fingers grasped at the soft material at the back of the grey Bouclé cowl neck sweater I was wearing, "That is besides the point."

"Oh but you said you would beg to-"

Once again I was rewarded for my _efforts_ with the same form of punishment, except this one was more emphatic and left me completely breathless. If I could've gotten the muscles in my face to work I would've smirked when I noticed that he was in the same state of pleasant agitation . Voice low, moving up from his chest and out of his perfect lips he asked, "I'll admit it. I would have begged. Does that make you happy Kagome?"

"No, actually," I managed to grin wolfishly before I slipped my hand behind his neck, fingers twining in the impossible silkiness of his hair, and pulled him close, claiming his lips with mine for the first time. Pulling away I whispered shyly, my boldness catching up with me and burning a path of red across my cheeks, "That makes me happy."

His eyes, warm and hungry, flashed with an emotion so quickly that I couldn't even begin to guess what it had been before he purred happily and slid his lips over mine, fire dancing against fire and I lost track of time – it wasn't long, I knew, but it seemed like it was forever wrapped in a mere moment. When we parted, I felt lightheaded and scatterbrained and wonderfully happy if not content. Oh no, who can be _content_ when you're kissing Sesshoumaru? No, I'm not out of my mind, don't get me wrong, I am content in the _moment_ but I'm not content _overall_. Why? Isn't it obvious? Are you dense? I don't want to stop!

"Sango is-" he started before I cut him off with a light chuckle.

"Yes," I waved my hand dismissively, "she's coming over to spend the night with me." I looked at my watch, a little bit awkward because I had to untangle my unwilling fingers from his hair so I could see the glowing hands of the watch, "She should be here in… Five minutes?"

"Good," he purred, a hand releasing my sweater to move up, brushing my cheek before it dove into the thick hair at my temple while he brought his face up to mine once more, butting my nose gently. "And Damn," he growled and I nearly fainted from the heat that laced the tone and the fire in his eyes.

"Mm," I said smartly. _Honestly, what could I have said, my tongue was completely uncooperative and any witty part of my brain that I might possess had a fried circuit at the moment. _Sesshoumaru didn't seem to care though because he came back to knock me off my feet – figuratively speaking of course since I was sitting in the passenger seat – all over again. I was beginning to lose track of how much we'd kissed this week. I rather liked that.

Five minutes later – on the dot – Sango walked into the parking lot, high heels clicking smartly as she moved to go up the stairs near my apartment. I wouldn't have noticed but Sesshoumaru did and pulled back – much to my disappointment and relief – _I mean come on, I didn't want to do anything stupid and the guy had me reeling more than I thought possible and we were just kissing_ – and straightened in his seat, eyes glassy with a healthy flush on his cheeks as he ran a hand through his hair. Exhaling deeply he released the air in a shuddering breath before he turned back to me, eyes warm, "I'll see you tomorrow then?"

"Un," I smiled, trying desperately myself to calm my racing heart before we exited the car. "That sounds nice."

"I'll bring Ran by tomorrow after I pick her up from Inuyasha's," he added as he smiled and got out of the car with an impossibly fluid movement, going to the trunk and lifting out my bag with ease. Climbing out I walked around to the back but didn't even bother asking him to hand the bag to me; he'd insisted on carrying it anytime there hadn't been a valet to do it during the vacation. I didn't see it as coddling though or as an insult – I saw it as his way of showing me that he thought I was worth the trouble, worth the effort. I rather liked it. He normally opened the door of the car for me too, but I'd gotten out before he could come around. Leaning forward with a broad smile he kissed me gently on the lips, "Let's not keep her waiting shall we?"

_Can we?_ I thought giddily but just nodded, his smile infectious. I realized that he smiled a lot more than I would have ever expected. He didn't smile very much in the magazine pictures – especially the covers. There was sometimes a slight upturning of the lips, but more often than not the intelligent, I-know-I'm-damned-good-at-my-job, you-will-never-beat-me expression was what the magazine's captured. And let me tell you, he looked darn good that way, no doubt, but that _smile_, the full-out, happy _smile_ was beyond gorgeous and I have to admit I'm glad to have seen it so much.

It was all Sesshoumaru; that cold, calculating expression, the mischievous smirk, the concern, the warmth, the passion – it was all him and I knew that I'd already fallen for him – every aspect – as ridiculous as it was. I mean, yeah – fast. It hadn't been love at first sight or anything like that, but the truth was I still felt a little silly falling for him so hard so fast. I mean, I knew now that he liked me for me sure – thank God considering my feelings concerning him – but the man was way beyond my league in my opinion and well, a temporary infatuation, however affectionate and wonderful it may be while it lasted, would be devastating. He was everything I wanted and more, the piece that made me feel complete. I silently hoped – fervently – that it wasn't just a temporary thing for him and that he felt the same way I did but was interrupted from my worrying by the cheerful voice of my best friend as she caught sight of us from the top of the stairs.

Can't really miss a guy with long white hair in a black parking lot.

Well, if he's not trying to hide from you… Somehow I get the feeling that _he_ could pull it off if he wanted to.

"Kagome, Sesshoumaru!" she shouted happily, "How was the land of the Gods?"

I laughed despite myself, throwing away my worries as I walked shoulder to shoulder with Sesshoumaru who was smiling pleasantly, "The land of the Gods my dear is heaven on earth. No joke."

"No joke, huh?" she asked, an eyebrow rising, "I'm impressed. It must be pretty good… You brought me back something of course?"

"What kind of friend would I be if I didn't," I winked, stepping lightly up the steps and realized that my feet were the only ones that made any sound.

_Yeah,_ I decided, _if he didn't want you to find him, you wouldn't find him. Even with that hair that screams 'look at me, I'm gorgeous!'._ I resisted the urge to snort in amusement as we reached the top of the stairs before Sango threw her arms around me, "You're looking good dear," she chirped happily.

"It's all that sun and sea salt," I giggled, hugging her back just as fiercely.

Sesshoumaru chuckled from behind me before he muttered quietly, "Hardly."

"Hardly," I asked, craning my neck to look back at the tall man who stood there with an amused tilt to his full lips, "What exactly is that supposed to mean, Mister?"

A perfect eyebrow rose up as the tilt turned into an mischievous smirk, "No amount of sun and sea salt could help some people."

"Sesshoumaru," I gasped surprised, "that's just mea-"

Sango's raucous laughter drowned me out before she wheezed, arms wrapped around her stomach, "He has a point Kagome."

Sesshoumaru's other eyebrow rose to join the other as he gave me an innocent look, "I was only being honest. I just meant that you always look good so that the trip has nothing to do with it."

I opened my mouth to argue when Sango's laughter rang out loudly once more, music on the night air, "You, Mr. Taisho," she snorted as she shook a finger at him, "I approve of _you_."

Blushing fiercely I pulled at Sango's arm as I dug around frantically in my purse, searching as always for my keys in the cavernous pit. Finding them I stabbed the key into the hole and turned it with a practiced ease, throwing the door open and dragging a hysterical Sango behind me as an amused Sesshoumaru trailed behind, bag in hand. _I can't believe she just said that, oh boy…_

Sesshoumaru didn't help the situation either as he moved into the entrance way and set the bag down just beyond the step up from the shoe area. "Why thank you Sango," he smiled, nodding graciously at her.

"Your quite welcome," she turned to bow dramatically before I elbowed her in the ribs. As discreetly as possible.

Sesshoumaru's lips twitched as he obviously tried to stifle a laugh and he stepped forward to the edge of the shoe area. Before I knew it he had an arm around my waist, pulling me close for what seemed like the first and the hundredth time all at once and placed a gentle kiss on my lips, murmuring a "Good night" against them before he stepped back. "Good night Sango," he smiled in her direction and then with one last glance that sent a shiver down my spine he left, closing the door behind him.

"Oh my God," she breathed as she leaned against the wall for support. "That was a prayer by the way," she muttered distractedly, eyes trained on the door as if he was still there.

I stared at the door too, frozen to the spot as I managed to nod, "Yeah."

"Wow," she added breathlessly.

"You're telling me," I mumbled numbly. Kicking the rusty gears in my brain I finally picked up one foot and turned, moving one step at a time as I picked up my bag and carried it to my living room where I collapsed limply on the couch. Looking over my shoulder I found Sango still facing the door and staring at it before I called her name. Jumping she turned her head and laughed, a blush staining her cheeks for the briefest of moments.

"Sorry," she laughed, "but _man._"

I grunted as I pulled roughly on the zipper of the main pocket of my bag and pulled it open before I began scrambling around for the presents for Sango. "You have a lot to tell me you know," she stared pointedly at me and I blushed. "Oh yeah, make that a _ton_," she smirked impishly.

I grumbled darkly under my breath and she laughed, "If you do I'll show you something too."

"Oh really," I asked, looking up at her eagerly, "show me, show me!"

"Nope, you first," she chuckled, waving an admonishing finger in my face.

"Fine, fine," I rolled my eyes, "but presents first. Close your eyes." She followed my instructions and I pulled out the first gift, a cookbook of Greek food and placed it in her hands before I picked up the next clump – postcards ranging from scenic to postcards featuring different saints from the churches. "Not yet," I mumbled as I fished around for the smallest present, a delicate chain necklace with the blue glass evil eye set into a gold base and a matching pair of earrings. "Alright," I chirped as I plunked them down on top of the pile, "you can open them now."

She did just that and let out a happy squeal, "Ooh, what's this?" she cooed, picking up the blue jewelry – Sango was nearly as much of a sucker for blue as I was, the only other color that she liked better, at least when it came to jewelry, being green. The girl loved emeralds like none other.

"It's a Blue Glass Eye, sometimes called an Evil Eye. They're supposed to ward off evil and bring good luck from what I understood," I shrugged, "but I thought it was pretty. I got myself a matching set too so we can do look alike," I winked.

"Sweet," she grinned, riffling through the postcards slowing, her eyes running over each photo with a hungry appreciation. "Man, it _is_ gorgeous. And to think – you were going to _turn_ him down. Now aren't you glad that-"

"Hush," I grumbled and she glanced up me, laughing.

"Well, you know I have a point but besides that, I have to admit, I would love to go there," she shook her head appreciatively. "I should start watching ticket prices."

"What for," I asked curiously as I leaned back into the pillows at the back of the couch, letting myself get swallowed in the soft plush.

"No reason, mostly curiosity," she shrugged as she set the jewelry and postcards down on the coffee table and started leafing through the cookbook.

"I don't know how many of the ingredients we'll be able to find," I chuckled, motioning at the book with a shrug, "but I thought it would be fun to at least try some of the stuff. The food was unbelievable, Sango," I grinned. "I could eat Greek food everyday quite happily."

"And drop sushi?" she gasped, eyes wide.

"No way," I laughed, " I'd be eating my _maguro_ right along with the _moussaka_ and the _dolmathes_."

"What the heck is _that_?" she laughed, eyebrows shooting up at the sound of the foreign words.

Grabbing the book out of her hands I flipped to the contents and found the foods in question and explained them to her before she nodded and licked her lips, "Yeah Kags, you're right, it does look really good. What's say we go wild in the kitchen this weekend, huh?" she winked and I snorted.

"Sounds good."

"Great, now down to business," she started, eyes sharpening quickly. "Spill it. All of it. Oh and get me your camera too, I want to look at pictures while I hear all the juicy details."

"Demanding, demanding," I teased, reaching into the purse on my lap and pulling out the small digital camera, flipping it on before I passed it to her.

"Ooh, a plane," she gushed as the first picture came up and I slapped her playfully on the shoulder. She slapped me right back, grinning evilly as she flipped to the next picture, "Forgive me for looking forward to the juicy stuff."

"You wanna hear it or no-"

Snapping those intelligent, journalist eyes back to my face she barked out in a laugh, "I do want to hear. I'll be quiet I promise."

I huffed and started in, telling her in detail about the trip and trying to avoid the whole _kissing_ issue but she didn't buy it for a minute and by the time I was done, her teasing comments peppering the conversation, I was as red as a ripe tomato. "Well, well," she teased, crossing her arms over her chest after she set the camera down on the table, "he is quite a catch, dear."

"He's not a catch. He's not mine," I blustered, my blush darkening as I secretly couldn't have agreed with her more. She called me on it.

"Bull-shite," she snickered wickedly, "you know it just as well as I do, he is totally into you. And what a guy," she breathed as she glanced at the door again, "I mean, he's actually someone that I would say _almost_ deserves you."

"Almost," I gurgled, eyebrows raised dubiously.

"Almost," she waved flippantly. "No one in my highly qualified opinion is completely good enough for, but boy, that man's as close as it's going to get I think."

"Your highly qualified opinion, huh?"

"That's right, you bet your boots Kags," she waggled her eyebrows at me dramatically. "You're my best friend so I'm just saying, he's officially passed the 'best friend' radar and tests."

I chuckled and she grinned, "I mean, Kags, he said you were beautiful even when you have that split lip and stuff – courtesy of the creature from the darkest, slimiest pits of Hell who's going to get his ass kicked in court by Taisho & Sons' lawyer on Sunday," she finished, her grin turning into a violent scowl. "Sorry to mention the pig but really, I mean, I had to just point that out about Sesshoumaru. I think from his behavior that he'll definitely be one of those guys that would still think you were _gorgeous_ even if you were all wrinkly and stuff."

"I just hope it's not a temporary thing," I mumbled before I could stop myself and she pounced.

"Oh good grief," she growled, eyes protective. "Look, I can tell you right now, as an outside party who saw that… that kiss and that _look_ he gave you before he shut the door – I can tell you that it's not something temporary. He has it bad for you, I'd bet my… My entire collection of shoes on it!" she declared emphatically.

"Wow," I muttered, eyes wide.

"Yeah, that's right," she smirked, "all my shoes on it, he's not a temporary guy who's waltzed into your life to sweep you off your feet for a little while. If I'm wrong, I'll give you all my shoes."

"Pretty sure, aren't ya," I chuckled.

"Dang right I am," she grinned and I remember that she had something to show me.

"So… I've told you everything now, and you've teased me unmercifully I might add, so what was it you had to show me," I asked, my curiosity growing by leaps and bounds as she suddenly grew shy. _Okay, yeah, something big is up,_ I thought giddily as I pinned her with a wicked look that said, 'Spill it or else.'

"Well," she squirmed, eyes bashful – a very sudden switch from the teasing deviant of a few seconds earlier, "I, um." She reached into her sweater pocket and fumbled with something small, "The thing is…"

She blushed and held out her hand, offering me a clear view of the small golden band that rested innocently on the palm of her hand and the room exploded into a great cacophony of sound.

"

"

Ten minutes later, after I'd calmed down even to speak normally and was no longer jumping up and down on the couch with crows of "I told you so's" and "I knew it's," I leaned casually on the back of the couch and pinned her with a smug look. "Well, congratulations are in order I think," I smirked devilishly and watched with delight as she blushed. _Oh revenge, how sweet it is…_

"Why weren't you wearing it earlier though? Wanted to surprise me," I grinned.

"Yeah, that was the idea but," she shook her head, eyes slightly glazed over, "I definitely wasn't expecting such…such…"

"You should have known better," I teased, giving her a playful push, "after all being my best friend you've seen me lose it plenty of times," I finished with a snicker.

"Yeah," she muttered dumbly but then shook her head, "but never like _that_. My gosh, did you take a _hit_ of something before you got here or was that _natural_."

"You better believe it was 100 natural," I flashed her a winning smile as I plucked the ring from her palm to examine it closely. "Ooo, it's so sparkly," I cooed, eyes going all starry.

"All right you troll," she laughed, "back away from the jewels. Back away."

"But it's so pretty," I teased and then let out an indignant "Ow," rubbing my head where she'd bopped it as she simultaneously snatched back her ring.

Slipping it onto her finger she murmured quietly, growing suddenly serious, "I never… I never thought that it would – that he would, you know… That-"

"He would finally _ask_ you?" I snickered, "You weren't the only one who's been waiting. I've wanted you two to get hitched forever. That right there is the trigger for my explosion, Sango. No illegal substances or anything – just pure, unadulterated, 'damn am I happy for you' excitement. Pure and simple," I winked and thought happily, _It's about time after all, thank God they're finally tying the knot._

"

"

The case took place on Sunday, the 23rd of September and to say it was…unpleasant…would be a hideous understatement. Of the _century_, perhaps even the _millennium._ Naraku was as mad as a spitting cobra that's been stepped on.

Because he had been stepped on.

For the first time ever.

He had gotten his hand in a cookie jar that was tougher to get the cookie out of than he'd realized. All thanks to a particular dog demon that had taken interest and had brought his own power and prestige into play and for the first time one of Naraku's victims was able to have a _fair_ trial. What a bloody novel concept, right? But get this, the guy _actually_ tried to bribe the police, the judges, _my_ lawyer – a last ditch attempt I heard – and even tried to get one of his goons to sneak into the police station and break into the evidence room to destroy the physical evidence. _Yeah, that's right, that oughta teach the bastard that nowadays leaving blood lying around? It ain't such a bright idea. Guess nobody had ever been able to hammer that idea home to the big lug though 'cause all the other physical evidence brought before the courts previously had been ignored or hadn't even made it **to** the courts. Surprise, surprise, the man got his hands into everyone's pockets when he had to make an appearance in court and the only reason **my** evidence had a) made it to court and b) not been ignored was because of my dashing, white haired defender who apparently held more sway than even the Cobra. Thank God._

I looked over, exhausted and weak as a newborn kitten, from where I sat behind the small table next to my cousin, Kikyo, and watched as Naraku's face nearly turned purple with rage. I also noticed, angrily, that his two secretaries looked a little worse for wear – in other words they were sporting several nasty bruises on their necks that they barely managed to hide under their professional, high-collared shirts. That and the littlest one, with voids for eyes, seemed to be limping and I had the sinking suspicion that as soon as Naraku could he'd do a lot worse. I shuddered, wrapping an arm around myself and tried not to think of their fate when he got out.

I'd spent the entire time being torn between a blind urge to run away as he kept sending me looks oozing terrifying poison, as if he really could kill me with his eyes, and the urge to at least try to punch the living daylights of him and do something that would make sure he'd never stick his you-know-what in anyone's general direction _ever_ again. My second urge grew stronger when his death glare would randomly, in the blink of an eye, turn lecherous but then after a while he would go back to trying to murder with those black eyes instead of stripping me with them. Talk about confused and probably harboring a split personality – one with no nice side, we had murderer and lecher, _oh joy_.

Needless to say, after the whole long process finally came to a close I was almost too exhausted to celebrate like I wanted to. I would have been happy to have the creep put in a very dark cell, far, far down where there was no light, for a very, very long time – preferably until he was dead. I'm not normally this…harsh, but seriously, the guy had gotten away with so much stuff and I didn't need to be a rocket scientist to know that he was _Eeevile_. Yes with a capitol 'E', I mean, if you ever met the guy or had him look at you – or worse, touch you – you would know what I mean. The guy was truly the epitome of evil. Honest to goodness evil – an oxymoron I know, but bear with me.

He didn't get sentenced until death of course – _sigh_ – because even with my charges that particular sentence wouldn't work. No, for stalking I got a restraining order that held quite a punch – thank you Kikyo – and then a fine as well as a sentence that required him to spend some time with the city's finest. That last one was the icing on the cake really. Not only had Kikyo and Sesshoumaru managed to pin him with a charge for the first time _ever_ they had managed to get him time in the joint! It wasn't nearly long enough of course but I was happy to know that for at least for two months I wouldn't have to worry about the creep.

Oh the restraining order? Yeah, that goes beyond two months of course – he just has jail time for two months and has to pay me a fine of $5000 since the normal sentence for battery is up to a maximum of six months behind bars. He forked out some more money to get a shorter sentence – unfortunately. I don't care about the money – the safety of mind and body knowing that he's locked up somewhere is more than worth the extra money I'm getting, however, I was happy with what I could get. But the restraining order, right? That should keep me safe, right?

Um, look, how can I put this gently… WRONG. **So** wrong. If you'd been there and _seen_ him you'd know deep down just like I did as I watched him being led stiffly from the room, his aura nearly tangible around him as he radiated with fury, that my little restraining order – while it did pack quite a punch if it was broken – was only a little piece of paper that he probably in all honestly didn't give a crap about.

Think about it, the man's broken tons of laws countless times and I've just managed to make him even _more_ ticked off – do you **honestly** think that he's going to see that restraining order and the threats of punishment it carries and step back, hands held up defensively and say, "Oh gee. I guess I better not try to get even. Oh boy. A restraining order... That's pretty scary. Oh gawly."

Ehe, yeah, I didn't think so.

So that was it – two months of safety and then I'd have to be watching my back again but I was more than grateful for even that two months. Couldn't have been happier but expressing it would have required physical action which I felt was too much to even attempt.

Did I mention I was dead tired after the Cobra had gotten done killing and stripping me with those twisted eyes for _way_ too long? Because I _a_-

"Kagome," Kikyo was saying as she put a gentle hand on my shoulder, tearing me from my tired ramblings, "it's over. It's not much I'm sorry, but I'm just glad that we even got him convicted, the _rat_." I looked back at my cousin, slowly because I had a headache the size of Australia, and took in the triumphant light that filled her brown eyes, the slight tilt of her lips – always so expressionless except for when she was arguing. _Oh Kikyo._

"No, thank you so much. If it wasn't for you and Sesshoumaru I wouldn't have even had a chance at all," I managed to form the words and fought doggedly to pull my lips into a smile, at least something that had a semblance of a smile, and she nodded, her lips pulling higher.

"It was our pleasure," she squeezed my shoulder gently before she stood up and began to shuffle her papers into her briefcase. I groaned and began to tense my legs in an attempt to lift myself from the chair when Sesshoumaru, followed by Sango and Miroku, passed the gate that separated the viewers from the defendant and prosecutor. In a fluid movement he lifted me from the chair and kept a hand on my waist for support as he gazed down at me, eyes worried.

"You look exhausted," he murmured, brow furrowed as if this displeased him greatly. _Aaw, you're such a sweet guy,_ I thought giddily as I leaned heavily on the large hand that held me so easily. _You spoil me…But I am **not** complaining,_ I giggled happily. Needless to say exhaustion coupled with a killer headache makes me a tad bit loopy.

"Yeah," Miroku and Sango peered around him worriedly, "you don't look so hot Kags."

I laughed weakly and turned to face them, face bemused, "Do I really look _that_ bad?"

"No, no-" Sesshoumaru started to purr in assurance as he squeezed my waist in a comforting gesture.

"You look like you've been run over by a truck," Sango cut him off matter-of-factly, lips turned up in an amused smile as she glanced at Sesshoumaru. "It's not that you look bad," she turned back to me, eyes growing sympathetic, "but you do look like you could collapse."

"I feel like it," I chuckled.

"Of course you do," Sesshoumaru sighed, walking me toward the gate, "we all saw how he was watching you."

"Yeah," Miroku laughed loudly, "I thought you might _lose_ it Sesshoumaru."

Sango giggled at my confused look and Sesshoumaru's light blush, "I have to agree," she shrugged apologetically.

"I merely wanted to rip his eyes out like I could have done if it were only a few centuries earlier. This modern age, unfortunately, won't let me deal with things as I would prefer to," he grumbled, the blush growing darker.

If someone would have told me when I moved to Tokyo back in April that in September I would be in a courtroom, leaning on Sesshoumaru Taisho for support as my two best friends teased the handsome youkai about his violent version of protection I would have told that person to 'just say no to drugs' because I would have thought they were on _something_. And a lot of it. I was used to having him around now, of course, I loved it in fact, but there were still these moments where it hit me and all of a sudden it all felt so surreal that I wondered if I'd been having an elaborate dream all night that spanned the space of months.

_Or maybe I'm in a coma…_

"

"

I thought I'd seen Naraku mad, furious to the point of insanity – this week being the worst – but it was nothing compared to the rage that boiled in him today and I realized that my life as well as Kanna's was forfeit. We had two months to get our battered bodies somewhere – the middle of Podunk nowhere, change our identities and disappear as much as we could – damned to spend the rest of our lives praying that he never found us. I doubted all the prayers would help but it certainly didn't mean I was going to sit idly, waiting for my death at his hands or at the hands of one of his countless thugs. Even now it was like I could feel the thug's big, fat fingers attached to those strong hands the size of Christmas hams wrapping around my neck in a grip of unforgiving steel as they squeezed the life out of me.

I shivered and turned to Kanna, my mind made up, "We have to get out of here. Now."

"So it would seem," she said in that eerie voice, "Do you have any suggestions for a destination?"

"As far away as we can get," I sighed, slumping against the wall of the office where we'd come to after the case to get some files. "Get all of your money out of the bank now, before he gets a hold of it and freezes it somehow. We need to be on a plane two minutes ago."

She just nodded, face blank, before she swept out of the room and disappeared down the long hall, leaving me alone in the tense darkness of the office.

"

"

"How did it go?" I asked my Dad as soon as he stepped through the door with his arm around Kagome's shoulders to lend her support, my nose telling me that Sango and Miroku were following only a few feet behind. Kagome looked exhausted, Dad looked protective, and when Sango and Miroku appeared they both had such a mixture of protectiveness and the happy glow that hadn't left them since they became engaged that I nearly laughed. Nothing, it seemed, according to Kagome who'd told me about the engagement, could dim that glow that seemed to surround them. It filled their eyes and radiated off of their blissful faces – in short they looked like they were walking around in a jovial daze 24/7.

"We won as much as the court system would allow," Dad replied and I could tell just from the tone that he had mixed feelings about it. "I thought that we could make dinner for them since Kagome's so tired," he said as he took her to the couch where she promptly collapsed into the cushioning. She smelled tired. I frowned and jumped onto the couch beside her, snuggling close and taking her hand in mine.

"Hey Rin," she smiled. "How're you doing hun? I heard you have a court date this week too, huh?"

"Yeah," I chuckled. "But I'm actually looking forward to this one. It's just the final date to give all of the custody over to Dad so I won't have to visit my mom anymore," I smiled broadly.

She wrapped her arm around me and gave me her other hand to hold as she squeezed me gently in a one armed hug, "I'm so glad to hear that. It's been so hard for you both." She paused thoughtfully and the sound of pans and lively chatter exploded noisily from the cavernous kitchen as the others started getting dinner ready. "I really wished I could have done something to help," she finally mumbled, eyes looking off into the distance, unseeing, as if she was talking more to herself than to me. "He looked so sad sometimes and I wanted to do _something_ to make it go away…And when you'd come to school after a weekend with your mother you'd look so unhappy but I didn't know what I could do… It's awful to see someone so sad but I couldn't think of anything."

I looked up at her surprised, the compassion and desire to help ringing clearly in her voice. "But Teacher," I said before I could stop myself, "didn't you know?"

"Know what Rin?" she asked curiously, her eyes still touched with sadness. _Sadness for my father and I_.

"You've," I swallowed around the emotions that were bubbling up in my throat, "you've been helping us since the moment you walked into our lives."

"But I haven't done anything," she started, eyes widening slightly as her brows pulled together in bewilderment.

I shook my head, torn between a giggle and a sigh. For someone so smart I was surprised she hadn't noticed it, but then again she hadn't seen my Dad at home as much as I had and she hadn't seen him when he was still with my mother. She had no point of reference like I did so I guess I couldn't blame her for being so out of the loop. _But she won't be for long,_ I thought with a chuckle. _Dad would be sooo embarrassed if he knew I told her, but they're making enough racket in the kitchen that if I whisper in her ear he probably won't notice. I hope._

"Kagome, you've done more than anyone's ever done," I tried to explain, my voice a quiet whisper tickling her ear.

Turning with even more confusion apparent on her tired face she said, "But I haven't done anything special. I mean I-"

I put a finger to her lip and elaborated. Quietly. "You don't realize it because you never saw my Dad before he met you but… Do remember the time when he got distant and cold? During the summer? He was just as shut off back then," I sighed and continued, "She hurt him so badly and after that he would only open up around family, me the most, but it was so hard to watch him and know that despite his unruffled manner underneath he was hurting. I did everything I could but I could only do so much and I'd almost given up hope that someone could reach him." Looking up at her blue eyes as she turned towards me, surprise and the beginnings of wonderment swirling in the blue waves, I continued in an even quieter voice. "And then we met you."

"But I-"

"You've just been you Kagome, and by being you you've fixed it and even made it better," I threw a look over my shoulder, ears twitching slightly as a particularly loud crash of metal sounded, followed by a musical peal of laughter from Sango, before I was brave enough to continue. I had to hurry it up though before Dad caught me so I squared my shoulders and turned back to her ear, "He was never this happy with my mom. Never."

She pulled back with a vibrant blush and looked slightly scandalized and worried. "Rin," she chided in a gentle voice, "that's not true surely. You shouldn't talk about your parents like that. I'm sure that they were very hap-"

I giggled, "Kagome, I'm serious. I can tell you right now – not just from my own memories but also from things that my Uncle and Grandfather have told me – that they were happy in the beginning but it was different. My Dad trusted her and she did a really good job of tricking him and then not long after they got married she showed her true colors. Dad's already fragile trust was shattered. That's why," I looked over my shoulder once more. "That's why he tried to shut you out during the summer. He was afraid of trusting someone again. I'm sorry he did that but he did it because he was starting to-"

She was as red as a beat and looked like she might faint as she put a hand carefully over my mouth, "Um," she swallowed, face rigid with embarrassment, "I, uh. I think maybe your Dad wouldn't, um, appreciate you, well, you know, telling me all this. It's, you know, it's private and so-"

I pulled back from her hand with a quiet laugh, "Ok, ok." I smiled, "But the point is Kagome, you've made both our lives brighter just by being you," I wrapped my arms around her and breathed in her comforting scent and couldn't keep myself from wishing that she would permanently brighten our lives. As in never leave. She wrapped her arms around me, pulling me into her lap and burying her nose in my hair as she ran her fingers through it.

The scent of tears pricked my nose for the briefest moment and she whispered in a watery voice, "The same goes for the both of you, Rin. The very same. I'm so glad that I've gotten to meet both of you."

"

"

Rin's words on Sunday had left me reeling and it was already Wednesday and I still hadn't gotten over it. I was touched deeply but felt embarrassed and guilty at having heard such personal things about Sesshoumaru and his past marriage from Rin. I felt like I should have made her stop a _lot_ sooner but my accursed curiosity and exhaustion left me sitting there dumbly, blushing violently as she told me things about Sesshoumaru that I felt I should hear from his lips. I felt as bad as if I'd sat there and let her read his diary out loud to me or something.

But it was done and a part of me felt terribly happy. I really hadn't done anything to help I'd thought, but if what Rin said was true I was overjoyed with the knowledge that the sadness that held both of them in its grip was being destroyed. I remember months ago when I saw Sesshoumaru's sadness and wished desperately to fix it but thought that I couldn't touch him. But somehow, according to Rin, I _had_ reached him and I was more than grateful.

And utterly embarrassed.

How many people have conversations like _that_ with six year olds? The girl was so smart it was mind-boggling. I knew she was a genius but it still sometimes threw me for a loop and Sunday's conversation definitely knocked me off my feet.

But to say the least, my worries about Sesshoumaru's feelings for me being temporary were _dashed_ after our little girl talk. Rin was _smart_ and so I didn't doubt that I could trust her judgment. But I felt a little embarrassed about her claim that he was happier with me than he'd even been with his… his _wife_! _I mean, what?! How am I supposed to react to **that**? I feel guilty for wanting to do a victory dance…_

I sighed as I watched the reason for my current emotional chaos as she weeded in the little garden we'd made at the school – blissfully ignorant of my confused thoughts. I adored all of the children but Rin, well Rin held a special place in my heart and I found that everyday I was growing more attached to her. And her father. _Ungh,_ I groaned, _You are in **way** over your head Kags. _

"Teacher," Rin chirped suddenly from her spot on the ground where she was working. "Are you alright?"

"Hn?" I asked, snapping out of my thoughts. "Of course, what's up?"

"Well," she giggled, "your cell phone is vibrating." She pointed at the pocket in my dress slacks.

"Oh," I laughed and dove a hand into the pocket without a thought and answered just as the answering machine turned on, "Hello. Kagome Higurashi speaking. How may I –"

"Long. Too long," Sango laughed.

"Geez, someone's impatient," I teased.

"Yeah, well someone's my maid of honor," she retorted. "And I have a question for her, you mind handing her the phone for me?"

"Ouch, you made Rin your maid of honor and not me? I'm crushed," I whined.

"Haha," she laughed dryly. "How you doin' Kags," she asked voice instantly moving into her normal cheerful tones.

"Excellent," I smiled, watching the kids as they worked happily in the garden. "We're out gardening right now, but you couldn't wait another," I looked at my watch, "ten minutes to call? I'm not really supposed to be on the phone during work hours."

"Oh shoot, sorry I forgot the clocks here got bumped up ten minutes," she groaned, "apparently the boss thought it would be a good way to make us rush and write faster."

"That doesn't make any sense. Everyone'll just get there ten minutes late everyday," I chuckled.

"I know. Don't ask me why he thought it was a good idea. But anyway, I was just wondering if you could come over and look at dresses with me tonight?"

"Of course, my dear," I grinned. "You know I wouldn't miss it."

"Alright then, see you at?"

"How about 4?" I offered, calculating the time it would take to go home, collect Ran and go to Sango's apartment.

"Wonderful," she gushed happily, "Alright, see you then, thanks for picking up."

"No worries," I laughed, "Bye-bye." I hung up and smiled happily before I felt the strange sensation of eyes burning into the back of my skull and turned around to find the Craisin glaring at me from the exit to the playground.

The smile melted off my face and I gave an apologetic bow as she stomped over in a manner that promptly made me remember Sesshoumaru's "elephant in army boots" comment and I nearly laughed. Looking up guiltily I found her glowering at me in her usual stern manner. _Seriously,_ I thought with a giggle, _it's no wonder she looks like a Craisin with how much she's always scowling and frowning. The woman needs to learn to **smile**._

"Ms. Higurashi," she growled. "Do I need to remind that you are at work and while at work one does not _chat_ on their cell phones?"

"No Ms. Suzuki," I bowed again. "I apologize. My friend called earlier than she meant to."

"Just because someone calls doesn't mean you have to pick up," she grumbled, arms crossed over her chest. Her favorite stance - I liked to call it her "power stance".

"Of course Ms. Suzuki. I am very sorry," I bowed again and she sighed like a martyr.

"Just see it doesn't happen again," she finally muttered, sounding vaguely disappointed. I suspected once again that she liked a good argument. _Except with the donors of the school of course, _I thought with a dry laugh_, helpless teachers are another matter entirely_. _You old warhorse._

"Yes Ms. Suzuki," I replied, holding the necessary amount of repentance and appreciation in my tone as she turned her back on me and marched back into the school. As soon as she was out of earshot Rin snorted and I looked back at her in surprise.

"The Grinch is in a lovely mood today," she giggled and she yanked out another weed.

"

"

It was Saturday night and Rin was tucked safely in bed – _asleep_ – so I moved to the kitchen and snatched two goblets and a bottle of strawberry wine that someone had brought me from a ryoukan in Nikko. Returning to the couch where Kagome was sitting I couldn't help the endearing smile that pulled on my lips as I saw her lean forward to pick up a piece of chocolate from the bowl on the coffee table. A simple movement, a brief glance and it was enough to make me warm with content happiness. It would have been almost embarrassing how weak I was against her if I'd been able to think about anything else. As it was though, now that we were alone, my thoughts were on one thing only: the blue-eyed angel that had firmly captured my heart – despite my early stubbornness.

Sitting down next to her I set the two goblets on the table and she smiled at me for a moment before her eyes caught on the bottle in my hands. "Oo, may I?" she asked, holding out a delicate hand as I handed it to her. Turning it in her hands as she examined it I smiled at how unbelievably adorable she was. Running her fingers over the words she read the descriptions before she handed it back with an cheerful smile, "Sounds delicious."

"Well," I chuckled, "let's find out." With ease I pulled out the cork and laughed as she jumped slightly at the brief explosion. Lifting a goblet I filled it halfway and handed it her before I poured mine and relaxed back into the couch.

Holding her glass high she smiled as I lifted mine to meet hers. "Cheers," she said happily, voice like the sweetest music against my sensitive ears.

"Cheers," I replied. _A toast to my blue-eyed angel._

Taking a long sip she sighed happily. "Oh boy, that's _good_," she smacked her lips appreciatively as I handed her a piece of chocolate. "Thank you," she murmured, blushing slightly before she popped into her mouth – which was where my eyes were immediately glued to as my mind started thinking about what I wanted to do with those perfect lips.

"So Sesshoumaru," she said, taking another sip of her wine, apparently oblivious to my distraction, and I took a quick sip from my glass in an attempt to hide my wayward thoughts as she continued, "what are your dreams? I mean you've been around for a long time, you're part of a successful business, you have a wonderful daughter, a beautiful house and you've traveled around the world so," she shrugged, the blush still dancing on her cheeks, "are there any dreams that you haven't reached?"

I laughed to hide my sudden embarrassment. _If only you knew, _I moaned. _You're what I want… But I can't exactly tell you that yet, can I? Call me a chicken but I'd prefer the term 'cautious'._

"Of course there are things," I smiled, taking another sip before I picked up a piece of chocolate and brought it to her lips, hoping to distract her. "Not to say that I'm not happy or grateful with what I have, of course. But what about you Kagome? What dreams do you have?" _Turn it on her, that's safe._

"Me?" she asked, startled as she chewed delicately on the chocolate and I found my eyes preoccupied by those lips again. _Damn it all._

"Yes, you," I chuckled and ruffled her hair – another distraction, more for me than for her. It's difficult to have a conversation when you're nearly scrambling to capture the other person's lips in yours. _Maybe wine wasn't such a good idea, _I thought worriedly as I glared at the drink in question. _Yes, bad idea. Soda would've been better. Or maybe milk since we're having chocolate. Right. Milk. Next time we'll have milk and –_

"Well," she mumbled, breaking me out of my random tangent, "like I told you in Greece I'd love to see places all around the world but as far as other things… I'd just like a happy life… It doesn't need to be anything fancy, just a life where I can be surrounded by loved ones and…" she paused, the blush staining her cheeks more darkly as she looked into her glass, gazing at the pink wine as if she could find all the answers to her questions there among the bubbles. "And, well, I guess I'd like to have a family of my own someday," she finished so quietly, a mumble into her glass, that if I wouldn't have had such sensitive ears it would have been nearly impossible to catch. As it was I heard it clearly and nearly kicked myself as her words and her violent blush made my heart flip-flop happily against my rib cage.

_She wasn't talking about me, you stupid, over-eager-_

"So, congratulations are in order," she said quickly, "now that we've celebrated I just want to say that I'm really glad that the case with your ex-wife got taken care of," she smiled brightly and the blush began to fade.

"Thank you," I smiled, frantically scrambling to gather my scattered wits. _Don't ask her about the family thing, _I warned the part of my brain that was still trying to jump for joy – as if she'd been insinuating that type of relationship with me – which to say the least is just ridiculous since she didn't say anything of the sort. But well, that ludicrous part of my brain took her words and ran with them in bounding hope and in my opinion was being _far _too optimistic about that 14-word sentence. _Yes, it counted. How **sad** is that?_

_Not one word,_ I growled again in warning, _We will not ask her one more word pertaining to that subject so don't even think about it._

"So when do you want to get married?" a strangely familiar voice asked. As the red stain bloomed on her pale cheeks I realized with horror that it had been mine – my voice. Of course, since we were the only ones in the room. _Shit._

"E-excuse me?" she stuttered, her eyes unbelievably wide while her eyebrows flew up.

"I mean," I scrambled to save what little dignity I had left after that _wonderful_ botch job, "how old did you think you wanted to be when you settled down with someone?"

_Damn, damn, and damn._

"

"

I was nibbling another piece of chocolate when his voice, low and smooth as velvet while it broke the comfortable silence, hit me over the head like a brick as he said, "So when do you want to get married?"

Several things happened at once. I dropped the chocolate onto my lap, blushed, went numb and had an explosion of butterflies take flight in my stomach as my heart stuttered and my lungs closed. The first thought going through my head was, _What in the world? Did he just – Oh my go- is he **proposing**? _

For some odd reason he looked as startled as I did after a moment and a matching blush adorned his cheeks as I managed to get hold of my lead tongue and ask not so calmly, "E-excuse me?" The stutter could not be helped. I mean, what did he _mean_ by that question? Because it sure came out sounding like a proposal of sorts… _Oh my God,_ I prayed as he rushed to speak, eyebrows high.

"I mean how old did you think you wanted to be when you settled down with someone?" he asked, still blushing fiercely. I let out a breath as my lungs started pumping again and chuckled nervously.

"Oh," I waved a hand and tried to play it off as no big deal – which couldn't have been farther from the truth. Underneath my shock my heart had jumped eagerly at his words and that unsettled me more than anything. _You idiot, _I scolded the foolish emotions that had sprung to life with his words.

"I didn't really have an age set," I tried to smile nonchalantly and failed. _Beautiful_. "It depends on who you meet and when I think, so I never really picked an age," I elaborated as we both tried to extinguish our stubborn blushes.

"Of course," he took a large gulp of his wine and I decided to follow suit – after picking up the fallen chocolate first, of course. Never waste chocolate – especially in a high-tension situation.

"I never really, um, had that many relationships so I-"

"What do you mean you never had that many relationships?" he asked, suddenly incredulous instead of embarrassed. "Surely you've had men hounding after you for years."

I laughed, my embarrassment dying away with his surprise and the strange image his choice of words inspired, "Hardly." The picture that flashed before my mind's eyes of men running about on all fours, drool dripping off their chins, and howling dumbly nearly had me, despite myself, burst out in a fit of violent laughter.

"I find that hard to believe. What exactly do you consider 'not that many'?" he asked, eyebrows drawing down into a quizzical expression that I found adorable.

_Good gad I love talking to him… And watching his expressions… And kissing him, _I thought dreamily as I lost myself in his gold eyes for a moment before I snapped out my daze and caught him frowning curiously at my pause.

"Oh well, um," I struggled to remember what he'd asked me. "Two," I finally answered emphatically.

"Two?" one eyebrow rose in confusion.

"Yes," I nodded, blushing slightly as I realized how weird that must sound to a man that had probably been on dates with countless women in the past – I mean you have to remember the guy's been around for who knows how many centuries, what can you expect? "Two dates."

His jaw dropped and I grumbled, sticking a piece of chocolate in his mouth as I sent him a petulant look, "I know, I know, pitiful."

He suddenly chuckled and set down his glass, now almost empty, "Have all the men in your life been blind and lacking in certain qualities or is there something you haven't told me? Like that you murdered someone in your early years?"

"Very funny," I stuck my tongue out at him and he plucked the goblet from my fingers.

"I find it very funny," he murmured, setting the glass down on the table gently before he turned those demonstrative, honey eyes on me once more, "that someone like you managed to evade men so well. I wouldn't have thought it possible."

"It's not like I tried," I grumbled and he cupped a cheek in one of his strong, warm hands.

"Oh, believe me Kagome, I'm not complaining," he purred and I felt myself flush warmly as our eyes caught and I started to drown in the swirling gold – not unlike a fly caught in the honey jar. "You've surely been kissed more than twice though, correct? Other than me," he amended, moving closer until our noses were touching and he was smiling that gentle, warm smile that I realized was reserved just for me.

I blushed, both from my realization and his question, "Actually…"

A warm laugh reverberated out of his chest and his smile broadened into a wolfish grin that had me shivering heatedly, "Oh dear, they were even more inept than I thought possible." His arms wrapped around my waist as his voice grew husky, warm as black pavement at noon in July, "I couldn't be more glad." And with those words he pulled me into a smoldering kiss that left me unable to tell up from down, left from right and had me soaring in blissful abandon.

"

"

I looked up from my table in the café as someone called my name and discovered the odd sight of Kikyo weaving her way through the tables as she headed my way. Again. _Boy, what is with her? She's starting to act strange. Monday madness mayhap?_

"Ms. Sagai, are you feeling alright?" I asked sweetly innocent as she reached my table.

"May I sit?" she motioned jerkily at the chair, face solemn as always.

"Be my guest but I have to wonder why you aren't wearing a mask," I smiled as she sat in the chair across from me, a coffee in her hand. _Black,_ I noted with some amusement, _of course. Serious people like Kikyo wouldn't let themselves have a little fun with some sugar and cream._

"A mask?" she asked, befuddlement flashing in her eyes for a moment before it disappeared. "What in the world are you talking about?"

"Well," I shrugged, picking up my sandwich and taking a small bite, chewing and swallowing it quickly, "you're here talking to me _again_ so I have to assume that you must have a fever to be doing so. And if you have a fever I would expect a responsible person like yourself to wear a mask to keep from giving everyone else your grodies."

She stared at me and I mentally smirked as her lips fell into a limp frown and I entertained the suspicion that she'd had to resist the urge to let her jaw drop in shock. Finally she responded in a flat tone, "I do not have a fever Inuyasha. Obviously."

"Well, could've fooled me," I grinned idiotically before I took another bite and chewed more slowly, meeting her stare with an unintelligent one. "So then, why are you here? I know that you don't enjoy my company."

"You are correct," she grumbled, eyes flashing with annoyance for a moment before she stuck her nose up in the air ever so slightly, "but I wanted to thank you for your help in Rin's case."

"Oh," I mouthed in fake shock, "but we'd already talked about that I thought. Is that really it or in truth is there something else you wanted to ask me?"

Suddenly her eyebrows drew down in a scowl as her lips twisted into an unhappy frown, a violent change from her earlier emotionless mask. "Actually there is something," she growled and I basked in the wonderful scent of her angry frustration. _Wow, it's getting easier and easier to get a rise out of her, _I thought happily as I schooled my face into an expression of helpful innocence.

"Ah, what's that?" I asked, the image of cooperation. _If only she knew, _I snickered happily as her scowl darkened several shades.

"When you left last time," she glowered, "you said something. You said, 'Maybe you don't me as well as you think you do.'"

"Yes, I did now that you mention it," I shrugged nonchalantly. "What about it?"

"Well what did you mean by it?" she hissed, hand clenching on the coffee making it slosh dangerously. Before I knew what I was doing I'd reached out and covered her hand with mine in an attempt to steady it before she hurt herself.

I froze in shock at the contact and we both stiffened, simultaneously locking eyes as neither of us moved a muscle for several long moments. It was like time froze and everything along with it was unable to march forward without the rhythm of the clock to give it direction. Like ice statues we sat there, dark brown eyes staring at my gold ones until someone nearby called out loudly to a friend, and in the blink of an eye the spell on time shattered and we both pulled away from the cup and each other's hands as if we'd been burned.

I for one felt like I really had been and barely resisted the urge to check my hand for scorch marks. Standing quickly I pretended to look at my watch and said, "Perhaps we can continue this conversation another time Kikyo, but I have to be going. I promised my niece I'd go watch movies with her this afternoon." Without daring a glance in her direction I left as quickly as I could without visible scrambling like I actually wanted to.

_Holy shit, what the hell **was** that?_

"

"

"You forgot your sandwi-" I started numbly but he was already gone. I stared dumbly at the half eaten sandwich on the table and tried to figure out what exactly had just happened. One minute I'd been trying to work around the conversation to subtly ask him about his offhand comment from last time – that had been driving me up the wall – and the next I was squeezing my cup of coffee and _then_ his hand had been around mine. And time stopped.

"What the hell," I mumbled, glaring darkly at the coffee cup. Once again Inuyasha had left me thoroughly off-kilter, but this time took the cake. Despite myself I couldn't seem to get the way his hand had felt on mine out of my head, how strong it was, how warm and comforti- "Shite," I hissed as I realized my mind was turning traitorous yet again – in the span of a few short moments it had betrayed me so many times that I'd already started to lose track.

"Damn you Inuyasha," I grumbled unhappily as my stomach growled hungrily. Huffing I reached across the table and snatched the sandwich – a katsu and egg one – and took a large bite out of it as I continued to glare at the coffee in my frustrated confusion.

"He touches me again and I'll teach him a lesson he won't forget."

"

"

"Uncle Inuyasha," I smiled happily as I opened the door, Mai jumping giddily next to my leg, pink tongue lolling merrily. "What's up?"

"Just thought I'd come by and see my favorite niece," he flashed a charming smile and I laughed.

"Well I'd better be your favorite since I'm the only one you've got," I turned back into the house as he took off his polished black business shoes.

Catching up to me he leaned down to tickle the back of my ribs as he retorted, "Who says you're the only one?"

"Uncle Inuyasha," I groaned, rolling my eyes as he swept me up and held me bridal style, carrying me to the plush couch where he dropped me unceremoniously. I bounced, giggling happy before I caught a distracted look cross his face. "What is it?"

"Huh?" his eyes focused on me again and I grinned evilly. "Oh nothing," he said and the scent of the lie hung between us.

"Sure," I drawled. "Fess up."

"I'd rather not," he grumbled and I didn't miss the blush that stained his cheeks.

"Ooo, it's about a _girl_ isn't it," I waggled my eyebrows suggestively at him.

"If you could call the ice statue a _girl_," he muttered and at the start in his expression I realized he hadn't meant to say that out loud.

"The 'ice statue'?" I chortled. "Ok, so who is the Ice Statue then?"

"So Rin, how was school today?" he asked quickly, the blush slowly fading as he tried not so subtly to change the subject.

Suddenly it clicked. His words and something Grandpa had said to me two weeks ago came together and I hazarded an educated guess. "Kikyo," I said and his twitch along with the scent of surprise that hit my nose was enough proof to tell me that I'd been right. _He would call her the 'ice statue' I laughed. She's so closed and emotional it makes sense and Grandpa said something about him teasing her a lot. He even said that he thought it was the beginnings of flirting. Interesting, _I thought mischievously as I watched my Uncle squirm.

"Did you two flirt again today?" I asked, one brow raised inquisitively in an imitation of my father. What can I say – I've learned from the best.

"I would never," he spluttered, radiating indignation and embarrassment, "_flirt_ with that – that emotionless shell of a woman!" he finished, eyebrows pulled down into an emphatic scowl.

"Sure, sure," I laughed, "You don't have to try and bluff around me Uncle. I already know."

"If you think that's what you know than you don't know anything," he glowered. "Did Grandpa feed you some of his romantic, matchmaking garbage again?"

"From your reaction I wouldn't call it garbage," I smirked and his glare grew thunderous.

"Well let me tell you something right now Rin: Kikyo Sagai is the last person I would _ever_ flirt with. **Ever**. We clear?" he asked, face stern but I just smiled, completely immune to his intimidation tactics.

"As Caribbean water," I winked and he continued to bluster indignantly before I decided to give him a break and asked, "You want to hear something hilarious?"

He stopped short, eyes suddenly attentive and bright with curiosity. "Of course," he grinned wolfishly, "I'm always up for something funny."

"I'm glad you came by before Dad got home since it's just Jaken here and he's asleep in the office," I smiled in a conniving manner. "If Dad was home I couldn't tell you."

"Oh good stuff," he laughed, pulling himself over the back of the couch and settling into the fluffy cushions, eyes eager. "Do tell, do tell."

"On Saturday Kagome came over and had dinner with us right?" I started and he nodded, "Well, after they thought I was asleep they sat down with a bottle of wine and started talking."

"Your Dad didn't notice that you were awake?"

I pulled a face, "I got really good at keeping my breathing at the level that indicates sleep a few years ago when he and Mom would fight at night. If I woke up they'd just get more upset because Dad didn't want to bother me and Mom couldn't care less." I shrugged nonchalantly. "Eventually I got good enough that they never noticed when I woke up if I didn't want them to and it's proved to be a…useful trick."

"You my dear," he stared at me with mock horror, "are devilish."

"Why thank you," I bowed as well as I could manage from my sitting position on the couch.

"My little protégé," he grinned, tweaking my cheek playfully. "So what did you manage to hear all the way from your bedroom?"

"Quite a lot," I laughed, "Although it was terribly faint what with the walls and the distance and all. That and they weren't talking loudly but I still managed."

He grinned broadly and I continued gleefully, "Dad made a blooper of a lifetime but I personally wonder if he didn't really want to say it – somewhere deep down."

"Spit it out already," he laughed, eyes sparkling impishly. He was as bad as I was when it came to pulling mischief. Or maybe it would be more correct to say that _I_ was as bad as _him_.

"They were talking about their dreams and Kagome muttered something so quietly that I had to reprocess it before I figured it out. She said that she'd like to have a family of her own someday but then she changed the subject really fast so I'm betting she was embarrassed. Dad responded but then he brought the conversation back to her previous comment."

"Ok," he said slowly, "So?"

"So when do you want to get married?" I mimicked in a good imitation of my Dad's voice at the time.

"No way," Inuyasha crowed delightedly. "You have got to be kidding me!"

"No," I laughed loudly, "I'm not. It was _priceless!_ I could smell their mutual surprise all the way in my bedroom! You have no idea how **hard** it was not to lose it and drop the act of sleep. I wanted to laugh so _badly_."

"Oh my go-" he choked, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes, "That, my dear girl, is the funniest thing I've heard in a long time. Talk about a Freudian slip. Ha!"

I blinked and he explained, "In other words I agree with you. I think your father _was_ saying something that he actually wanted to say, from somewhere deep in his subconscious."

Giggling I nodded as he continued his laughing, cradling his shaking ribs, "He tried to hide the mistake by saying, 'I mean how old did you think you wanted to be when you settled down with someone?' Talk about saving it by a _thread_," I cackled happily.

Uncle Inuyasha collapsed sideways on the couch, his breathing strained as he shook from his hysterics. Looking at him I found my own laughter growing by leaps and bounds and after a moment we were both wheezing and choking on the couch, tears streaming down our faces.

"

"

"So," I started slowly, scanning the pages of what seemed like the hundredth catalogue, "it's going to be a winter wedding…"

"Oh so have you guys figured out a date then?" Kagome chirped happily from where she sat on the couch beside me pouring over another catalogue.

"Yeah, we're tentatively thinking about December 16th. It's a Sunday so we thought more people might be able to make it," I smiled, peering at yet _another_ white dress.

"Sounds smart," she smiled, lifting her magazine up and pointing to a sleek, white dress with tasteful embroidery. "How about this one? You'd look _gorgeous_."

I quirked an eyebrow at it appraisingly and nodded, "Yeah, we should put a tab on that page so we can compare it later with the other ones that have made it into the running."

"Roger," she chuckled, slapping a slim, pink sticky note at the top of the page. "Have you guys gotten a place booked yet?"

"We've narrowed it down," I giggled, "Miroku's supposed to go over to the last place tonight and check it out for me."

"Good man," she declared, merrily flipping through the pages with alacrity.

"So, Sesshoumaru's trying to find out your birthday, huh?" I asked, slowly turning to the next page and critically examining the accessories it featured while I waited for her reaction.

"How did you," she started, eyes surprised as they snapped up to stare at me. "He _didn't_."

"He _did_," I grinned impishly. "Called me today at work actually."

"Oo," she grumbled and _tried_ to look upset but failed so badly that I couldn't help but laugh at her. "I'm serious, he is _not_ going to find out about my birthday! The man's already done _too much_. He bought me a puppy for a 'thank you' present Sango," she whined as my laughter only grew louder, "this is serious!"

She turned a sharp glare on me and asked in a dark voice, "You didn't tell him did you? If you did I swear I'll-"

Wheezing I waved my hand in a placating way, "Hold up Missy, no worries. I didn't tell him. I remembered you telling me after he got you Ran that if he asked me about it not to tell him so you can relax."

"Oh good," she gushed and turned back to the magazine, ruffled feathers smoothed.

"Yup," I smirked wickedly as she lost herself in the pages, completely missing the mischief that I couldn't hide, "you are perfectly safe."

_Or I'll at least let you think that,_ I cackled giddily. _I didn't tell him. Directly that is. Ahaha._

_Is it my fault that after I hung up from my refusal to tell him that a note found its way to my secretary's desk? Or is it my fault that she followed the instructions at the top of the innocent piece of paper and relayed the information written on it to Sesshoumaru's secretary before asking that the information be given to him immediately? No, not my fault at all. I don't know **who** wrote that note – it certainly wasn't me. _

"

"

"

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† End Chapter †

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☆　hiding behind futon, once again squeezing poor Sirotan in a deadly choke hold,  
as I peek out nervously over the top, scanning the crowd with grey eyes and then suddenly throw myself to my knees 　☆

m( - - )m m( - - )m m( - - )m m( - - )m m( - - )m m( - - )m m( - - )m m( - - )m

(This is me, bowing repeatedly in intervals of apology and appreciation. We're talking about some serious, heavy-duty A&A here folks)

Oh boy. First of all I would like to apologize** profusely** for the delay! m( - - )m I have more time now _technically_ but well, I am studying abroad and it would be a hideous waste of money and opportunity to sit inside all the time and so I've finally started traveling around Tokyo more. I'm the only one of the exchange students that hasn't already been to all the famous parts in Tokyo – how sad is that? Haha, I'm a walk and a train ride away and so I've felt recently that I should get my butt in gear. But I am very sorry that it has interfered and helped lead to the delay. Also I felt like I needed a creative break to get my muse happy again – it was feeling particularly pooped after chapter 9 and so I leaned back and read a few good books. In my opinion writers should read as much as they write – it gives them a break and a chance to get those creative juices flowing again. I felt selfish doing it because I knew that you were all waiting – I'm so sorry! – but I really needed to read a book – it's been sooooo long. (I read all of the Mediator series by Meg Cabot and holy crap it made me sooooo happy! I totally recommend it! If any of you have ever read it let me know what you think  
( '-' )v) And now I feel better! Yay! I tried to write a good length chapter to make up for it too (37 pages – a new record), so hopefully you all won't feel too peeved with me (O-O) although I wouldn't blame you. (- -;) It all sounds like such a lame excuse but I really am very sorry, so please forgive me the long delay.

SECOND! Holy COW people! I was floored by your responses to chapter 9 – FIFTY ONE reviews! I couldn't believe it and so I would like to say, "THANK YOU" times a BILLION! (OO) you were all soooo sweet and kind and had such great things to say – I can't thank you enough – I'm only sorry that it took me forever to update! Sorry and embarrassed (0 0) Your reviews really did help though – if it wasn't for all of your comments and thoughts and encouragement it would've taken me even **longer** to kick my butt into action so THANK YOU! I'm really touched and just so glad that you're all enjoying the story so far, like I've told some people it's not particularly brilliant or anything (plot twists and such) but I just wanted to write a soft story so I'm so happy that everyone seems to be so fond of it ( '-' ) that's just so unbelievably wonderful! m( - - )m　☆　どうもありがとうございました〜！☆　Many bear hugs for you all! \( '-' )/

I really don't even know where to begin to thank you all, so I hope that this chapter – although not as fluffy perhaps as the last – will still manage to bring a smile to your lips – all in time for VALENTINE'S DAY! Happy Valentine's Day everyone! May you spend it with those you love, friends or more than friends, and have plenty of chocolate! May it be a day where you experience love and kindness – the true meaning behind Valentine's Day – and know that I'm thinking of you and hoping that you have a wonderful holiday!

To specifically reply to the anonymous reviewers that I couldn't respond to ( I feel so bad if I can't respond somehow sorry - if you'd like to feel free to leave your email addresses and I'll try to respond to you there) : First, to you all:

thank you so much for letting me know what you think and for being so sweet – and sorry it took me so long to update! (O O)

Sweet Insanity - (blushes profusely) wow, um, thank you. I'm flattered that you like it so much – but I know that I'm not nearly as good as a lot of people out there but I'm trying to do my best so your kindness is appreciated. I'm just happy that you are finding the story so enjoyable! And I'm glad that you like Rin and the relationship between Kagome and Sesshoumaru – hopefully I can keep it going where everyone likes it ( '-' )v As far as the problem concerning fictional men – it is so sad isn't it? It is a terribly cruel dilemma, if only we could get guys to emulate some of the men in fiction, lol. No, I just teasing guys, they really aren't so bad but well, if a guy like Sesshoumaru walked in my door I'm not ashamed to admit that I would act a fool and lose it – goop, total goop. Haha. But I must remain loyal to my bf – he's a sweetheart so I can't mourn… too much. Haha. ( '-' )d I hope that the nasty stress monster will get off your back soon – you have my sympathies – I HATE the stress monster – he sucks… sewage. Ew. And thank you so much – I'm incredibly flattered and want you to know that I really appreciate that you gave me your first review – that's so wonderful. I hope that you enjoy this update and hope to hear from you again! ( '-' )v

Luna – Thank you so much for being so sweet and for understanding about the delay ( '-' ) I really appreciate that and I'm so glad that you are enjoying BOABW (too long, ha) – hopefully I can keep it to your liking as it continues – yay! And hopefully this chapter will be ok (fingers crossed) and you can find some enjoyment in it! Thanks so much!

Lady Scorpio – oh yay! You're the only one who said you read the Peabody mysteries – my gosh I LOVE her! You have to get your hands on more! They are sooo good – and oh my gosh – RAMSES later on is well, he makes me drool and his relationship with Nefret is one of my favorite fiction relationships. You'll like it, I'm sure! As far as this story I'm really glad that you are enjoying it and that you liked chapter 9! Hope you liked the interaction between Kikyo and Inuyasha in this chapter ( '-' )x hee hee

Asga – I'm glad that you like his portrayal so far and the length of the chapters! Thank you!

Cyin – I'm glad that you liked reading the story – I hope that your exam went well! I know what it's like to want to do anything but study, haha. I empathize completely ( '-' )

WhoAmI – Look! Look! Naraku finally got what was comin' to 'im, the arse! Yay! Anyway, I'm really glad that you are liking it – wouldn't we all love to be in her shoes? Haha. So Sad

Hi – Oh good – I'm really glad that you like it! And even gladder that you think Sesshoumaru sounds good ( '-' ) hee hee – one of my goals while writing ( '-' )v

Once again to all of you – signed and anonymous alike – a huge, thundering "Thank you!!!" and I hope that this chapter is ok. Sorry if I have a bunch of typos and such – I'm posting this _late_ at night because I've already dilly-dallied for far too long so my apologies (0 0) Also, I can't wait to hear your thoughts on this chapter – I don't know how I can compete with chapter 9 at the moment but, well, I tried haha. So please, I would be grateful and would love to hear what you all think or hear any questions, comments, parts or things that you like, etc, etc if you feel like it. I love long reviews too so feel free to let 'er rip ( '-' ) I was _really_ so happy after hearing from everyone last chapter so thank you **so** much! It'll be an honor to hear from you all again! Much love, Happy Valentine's Day, and take care until next time!

Yours truly,

Alyce

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Author's notes:

**Maguro:** Japanese for TUNA (yum!) – the best fish for sashimi if you ask me (drools) I love sashimi (raw fish) (sushi can be raw fish or sometimes it has no raw fish – sushi is actually more talking about the vinegared rice so if you want to specifically mean 'raw fish' its good to use sashimi)

**Moussaka:** like lasagna with fried eggplant slices instead of pasta

**Ryoukan:** Japanese style inn – go Honne Bankyuu Ryoukan! Yay!

**Katsu:** a _thin_ slice of pork done up in a fried breading – delish!


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, nor any of the characters. Please, don't come after me with lawyers. Thanks!

Authors note: Ok, everyone….I'm sure you are all more than ready to SHOOT me and I wouldn't blame you. Ugh. Anywayz, it's finals week right now and I really should be studying right now but instead I've gone and done this. I wrote it pretty fast though so I know I'll probably have a lot of boo-boos but…well…I've made you all wait for so bloody long as it is…Maybe you'll forgive me if it's not perfect this time. Hopefully it won't take me so long to get the next chapter out — things have been crazy lately — for a looooong time actually — and it's been so long since I've gotten to write on this that I feel pretty off my game.

So I would like to apologize for the long period of no updates. I would also like to apologize for not getting back to people's reviews — I will slowly try to start catching up. I also apologize if this chapter totally SUCKS (O-O) because it has been sooooo long since I've done this I'd really like to go back and read everything but I'm going to save that for during Christmas break and just bite the bullet today — and give you this chapter right now.

Please, if it's absolutely awful, forgive me. I will put it on for tonight and tomorrow after my first final I'll try to come home and read it again…might change things. So please accept my sincerest apologies and know that I've put this on here – not out of laziness – but out of a desire to final give you all an update. The next one I should be able to do better I hope. Thank you all so much for your patience and support. Things have been crazy this year and I've felt buried six feet under frankly.

Also a few people have written and told me that they found the POV switches confusing at times. Other people have written and told me that they thought they were clear. I tried - for 30 minutes to get several different symbols to work — they would always show up on my word doc. but once I put them on here they would disappear, ugh — but I finally am giving up for now and have settled on three basic symbols to help make it a little less confusing maybe. For the next chapter I will try to come up with a more character specific symbol system ( '-' ) So as it stands now there will be a symbol for Kagome POV, one for Sesshomaru POV, and one for everyone else (sorry!).

Kagome: £ £ £ £ £

Sesshoumaru: \ / \ / \ / \ / \ /

Everyone else: '' '' '' '' '' '' '' ''

Hopefully that will help clear up some confusion without becoming too obvious (ex: actually saying "Miroku's POV" or something like that). Anyway, hopefully it will work. Thanks! ( '-' )v

Chapter 11: Scheming

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There are many things that people include under the title of "art". I would like to add something to that list.

Helping to plan a party with your best friend's not yet official boyfriend while not_actually_ helping.

That my friends — that takes _talent_ — true _genius_ if you catch my drift. Helping without helping and therefore remaining innocent and consequently keeping myself from being murdered when the surprise was revealed.

Because you know what – I was _finally_ getting married and well…you know…I kind of wanted to be there for my own wedding. And not as the Corpse Bride. Not my idea of the perfect wedding, sorry.

Did I mention that the secretarial system of the corporate world is a truly marvelous thing that we should always be grateful for?

\ / \ / \ / \ / \ /\ / \ / \ / \ / \ /\ / \ / \ / \ / \ /

"Sir, you have another message from Ms. Takahashi of Tokyo Beat –", my secretary began as she popped her head in the door and I didn't fail to miss it as Inuyasha's ears twitched — a sign of his amusement.

Waving my hand dismissively I looked at her calmly, "Ayame, I've told you already. You can drop all of the titles and just give me the messages when you get them."

She cringed and mumbled nervously, "O-of course sir. Ms. Taka – _she_," she caught herself at Inuyasha's snort, "said that, 'Flowers are bewitching – especially Calypso's. What is in a name?'" She paused and I realized that was the end of the clue and Ayame was waiting for me to dismiss her.

"Thank you Ayame," I smiled, happily filing away the information from Sango as she bowed out of the room.

"Good grief," Inuyasha laughed, "I don't think she'll ever get over being nervous around you."

"Nonsense," I scoffed, eyes glued to my computer screen as I typed rapidly on the keyboard, claws clicking loudly on the plastic keys as I began my search.

"You're clueless," he retorted and then rapidly switched gears. "So, she likes flowers huh? But what the hell does Calypso have to do with anything?"

"'What is in a name?' Something to do with a flower's name I would guess," I murmured distractedly as I scanned the first results page that had finished loading on the page. "Orchids, huh?"

"Really?" he asked, eyebrow arched in surprise. At my nod he let out a, "hmm," before asking another question, "So she's still convinced that if Kagome finds out she's helped you that she'll kill her?" I glanced over the top of my computer to find him smirking wickedly before I nodded in response and he chortled, "Somehow I just can't see her hurting a fly even after it bit her."

"That's because you've never seen her angry before," I quipped as I clicked on a promising link and smiled. "If you had I think you'd think otherwise."

"Forgive me but that idiotic smile on your face isn't helping to convince me that underneath all that warm, bubbly sunshine Kagome is really a fearful troll capable of freezing the heart of even the bravest of men in fear," he flipped through the pages of a file, eyes dancing with bright amusement. "That, or for some twisted reason you are so taken with the girl that you even find her inner-troll attractive."

"Silence, Inuyasha," I grumbled and began the process of filling my cart with the things I thought would suit her best. He opened his mouth, no doubt to blurt some ill thought out remark, when the door to the office swung open again and Ayame's head appeared.

"Sir," she began, eyes wide as she waited for me to pull my eyes away from the screen, "there's another message for you sir."

"Yes?"

"She says, 'And when the heck are you going to ask her out already, Mr. Taisho'," she hesitated, frowning slightly and added, "except she didn't exactly say, 'heck,' or 'Mr. Taisho,' but…"

I must admit that had been the _last _message that I'd been expecting but before I had a chance to wrap my head around it Inuyasha's disbelieving splutters filled the room for a brief second before they were drowned out by an even larger ruckus.

"Sesshoumaru Taisho," my father bellowed from his cavernous office in one of his typical, deafening roars.

Pinching the bridge of my nose to stop the headache that blossomed under the brutal force of his voice I mumbled, "Yes, father?"

"Please," he said in a deadly calm voice as he glared down at me from in front of my desk. _Certainly hasn't lost any of his speed in his old age,_ I thought dryly as I noted how quickly he'd gone from his office to my desk. _That's father for you, though._

"Please tell me that my ears are playing tricks on me in my old age and that I didn't hear Ayame correctly just now," he continued. "Tell me that you already asked that girl out a _long_ time ago."

"Father, you-"

"Because if you didn't I'll be forced to hit you upside the head for being an unbelievable imbecile – and it won't be my fault when the force of it knocks you through the wall," he growled, golden eyes snapping threateningly.

"I–"

"And then _I'll_ hit you upside the head a second time. Damn it all to hell Sesshoumaru, don't tell me you haven't–" Inuyasha barked out, eyes wide — pools of dumbfounded gold.

Ayame, all the while stood half in and half out of the office, large green eyes looking stricken as my father and Inuyasha continued to shout loud enough for the majority of the floor to hear us — courtesy of employees with advanced hearing and a door being held open by afore-mentioned stricken secretary.

Sighing I glared up at my father coolly and murmured, "Would you both just stop making such a fuss, already."

"No!" they both shouted unanimously and I sat back in my chair, crossing my arms over my chest.

"No, I haven't yet," I said unperturbedly, trying to hide the fact that in truth I was just as shocked and perturbed as they were at my incredible oversight. I hardly wanted to admit that to either of _them_, though.

_What an absolute moron, _a little voice was screeching in my brain as my father and brother's collective volume rose to a record high. _How could__**that**__ have slipped your mind?! Obviously you need to check yourself into a mental facility. Pronto._

"You need a straightjacket!" Inuyasha was yelling as my father was roaring something along the lines of, "I can't believe this company hasn't gone down with an idiot like you handling one of the helms."

I rolled my eyes and opened my mouth to respond to _that_ ridiculous comment when the sound of someone clearing their throat sounded in the brief lull of the storm created when my two frothing relatives paused to breathe. We all turned as one to find Kikyo standing in the doorway, Ayame suddenly nowhere in sight.

"Is this a bad time?"

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Before the elevator doors had even cracked open I could hear the ruckus of two familiar male voices shouting in a mixture of disbelief and outrage. As cool and quiet as Sesshoumaru was his father was as fiery and loud as an erupting volcano. Inuyasha was the same as his father yet worse because he was so unintelligent where Mr. Taisho was an unbelievably intelligent businessman. A caveman and a genius.

I wondered for the millionth time how all positive traits that his father and brother seemed to possess in limitless quantity had somehow passed Inuyasha by — utterly. He was the epitome of the "ugly duckling syndrome".

I paused for a minute though, several feet behind a tense looking Ayame, as he said something surprising. "How could you be so moronic Sesshoumaru — how could you have something so good, someone so sweet and wonderful and not be smart enough to let her know that you liked her. Treasured her? _Officially_?! Or do you not care if someone waltzes in and whisks her away from you? When you have something good you have to grab it — you _imbecile_."

I was surprised — to say the least — by this very un-behemoth-like speech that actually bordered on… Dare I say?

_Intelligent_ and…surprisingly romantic?

_Perhaps hell is freezing over,_ I mused as I squared my shoulders and took a step towards Ayame.

"You need a straightjacket," Inuyasha shouted suddenly and I barely resisted the snicker that tried to escape my lips. _Scratch that thought, the behemoth lives._

As I reined in my amusement Mr., Taisho shouted furiously, "With you so careless I can't believe that this company hasn't been destroyed with you, obviously the world's greatest fool, controlling one of the helms! You put me to shame, Sesshoumaru!"

I reached Ayame and tapped her gently on the shoulder taking a quick step back as she jumped and spun around, arms flying out wildly as she tried to…well… protect herself I suppose. Honestly, the girl was a nervous wreck around Sesshoumaru on a good day but when the three of them started yelling she was like an animal caught in a trap – all flapping arms and flailing fists. I'd learned not long after she'd been hired to step back after I got her attention like that — unless I wanted to get punched in the face. However limp her fists were it still didn't feel nice when one of them managed to connect with my eye or such. I didn't like seeing the girl cry either — which she ultimately did if she hit me by accident.

When she recognized me her eyes widened before her mouth formed a silent "Oh" and she scuttled back to her desk, more than glad to remove herself from the room and it's yelling occupants. Opening the door the rest of the way, unnoticed, I cleared my throat when the two aggravated males paused to get a breath and immediately found myself pinned by three pairs of golden orbs, two as hot and angry as the desert sun and the third a molten swirl of ruefulness and annoyance.

"Is this a bad time?" I asked, face carefully schooled into its usual cool, blank mask.

"Kikyo, what in the devil are yo–" Mr. Taisho started out in a roar before I cut him short, not the least bit ruffled by his temper.

"I was supposed to be up here by," I paused to look at my watch, "four o'clock — three minutes ago — to discuss the contract and sale agreements with Pentax."

Inuyasha and Mr. Taisho stared at me dully blinking and for a moment I could actually see the family resemblance between them. "The merger," I added, expecting to see a light of recognition go off in Taisho's currently flat eyes.

I was not to be disappointed, of course. "Ah, yes," he breathed, eyes returning to their normal brightness — _thank God, that was more than disturbing seeing him look like he was on Inuyasha's level. _I resisted the urge to shudder in disgust and watched happily as he dropped his aggressive stance and smiled broadly.

"Of course, the merger with Pentax. I did tell you to be up here by four didn't I?" he continued cheerfully and I nodded, happy that I could now move on with what I had come up to do and get away from…the ugly duckling…as soon as possible.

_Who strangely enough, _I noticed suddenly, _has been avoiding looking at me since I got their attention. _

This revelation should have made me _very_ happy, but for some odd reason that I couldn't comprehend it only irked me — like a needle prodding me in the side. I mean it was the first time he wasn't bothering me with his idiotic comments — I should have been celebrating but instead I found it…disturbing. Which of course only served to nettle me even further.

_Good grief,_ I growled irritably, _get a hold of yourself Kikyo. _

"Well, you see my dear," Mr. Taisho said suddenly interrupting my incomprehensible thoughts, "something seems to have come up – and as much as I would love to discuss it with you I'm afraid that I can't at the moment so if you would be so kind as to," he paused, frowning apologetically, and I felt my jaw slacken in shock.

He was putting off the discussion for the merger? To chew out Sesshoumaru? What exactly _had_ Sesshoumaru done? Mr. Taisho _loved_ mergers and contracts because he saw them as "one of the few ways left to battle in this day and age," — something he had told me on more than one occasion.

There was only one other thing that Taisho was just as fond of…Love itself. And with his next words I knew that I'd hit the nail on the head as to the cause of this uncharacteristic delaying of a "battle".

"You see, Kikyo, my son has just proven to me that in certain important areas, despite his considerable years, he is still nothing more than an idiotic pup in desperate need of some pointers — and for the sake of his well-being I intend to make sure he gets them," he frowned, glowering darkly at Sesshoumaru, who sat leaning back in his massive leather chair looking back at Taisho with cold dubiousness.

Realizing that I would just have to wait until Mr. Taisho was finished with Sesshoumaru I gave a curt nod and murmured, "Of course Mr. Taisho. I will be waiting outside until you are ready then." Without waiting for a response I began backing out the door when his deep voice made me pause.

"Who said anything about waiting?"

"I beg your pardon?" I blinked at him in surprise.

"I said who said anything about waiting? Inuyasha will go over it with you. He's been doing all the work on the project anyway so you two may go over it while I finish my little father–son chat," he smiled wolfishly and I knew without a doubt that the "may" was really a "will". Arguing with Taisho is more often than not futile — even for skilled arguers such as myself.

Knowing that it was futile did not take away the desire to fight his orders however. And surprisingly Inuyasha looked as disturbed by the idea as I felt but his protests were cut short by a simple look from his father. "Inuyasha, the files are on my desk. I have a reservation for an early dinner at the new French restaurant downtown near the jewelers. Go there and don't come back until you are both finished with the preliminaries."

Apparently even "the Look," couldn't keep Inuyasha from sending his father an equally deadly look before he disappeared into Taisho's massive office to retrieve the files.

For the first time I could remember I rather agreed with Inuyasha's obvious sentiments and rather wanted to give Mr. Taisho the same look myself.

£ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £

The sun shone through the window, a warm caress on my skin as I sat at my favorite table, a Mainichi newspaper in one hand and an Azuki frappuccino in the other. Leafing through the pages, scanning them casually I twitched as my eyes landed on a small, innocent looking title in the gossip column.

"Japan's Most Attractive Bachelor's New Interest."

Seems harmless and normal enough, right? Just looking at it you would assume it was just about a new hobby that he's picked up or a new product he's thinking of buying. But that was hardly it. Of course, with my luck, it couldn't be so simple or benign.

See, it wasn't the title that was bad. Oh no. It was what was _under_ the innocent little title that had made my lungs stutter in surprise. There, in black and white, was a picture of me, shoulder to shoulder with Sesshoumaru, leaving the very Starbucks that I was sitting in.

"Shite," I breathed as my hand went limp and the frappuccino wobbled dangerously in my grasp.

\ / \ / \ / \ / \ /\ / \ / \ / \ / \ /\ / \ / \ / \ / \ /

"How long have you liked this woman, Sesshoumaru? How long?" my father was growling, golden eyes flashing like fiery knives as he glowered down at me, hands on my desk.

"Father, my personal life is just that: **personal**. I'd like to keep it that way and I see no reason why you should have to know every detail of my–" I started but — no surprise — was rapidly cut short.

"Bullshit," he barked and I blinked. "It's only private if no one knows about it. You've been dancing around this woman since Rin started school in April and you kissed her for the first time back in August."

"Well, aren't you well informed father."

"It's the 12th of October today," he continued on, unperturbed by my dry comment, glancing at the calendar on the wall. "It'll be two months soon and you mean to tell me that you haven't asked her out _yet_? You're just asking for it boy, let me tell you."

"Did you ever think that maybe I was waiting for the right moment? Or that maybe after my last experience I don't want to rush things too much? Or oh, here's a thought, it might be a risk for her career to date one of her student's parents — did you even stop to consider anything before you started bellowing?" I asked; eyebrow arched in cool appraisal. All excuses of course, but I could hope that he'd take my bluff. Not.

"You know I hate to repeat myself, boy," he sighed, "but in this instance I feel I must: Bullshit. You took her to Greece with you for heaven's sake, Sesshoumaru – that makes everything you just said — even the career bit — null and void. Just admit it already — it slipped your mind, you dunce."

"Even if I did," I looked up at him coolly, face a passive mask, "which I didn't, it's hardly a problem that can't easily be taken care of."

"Apparently not easy enough," he grumbled under his breath and I rolled my eyes.

"Father, would you get your nose out of my business already. I'm a grown man and I'll do things when and where I see fit — without you insulting me left and right."

"Grown man my as–"

"And honestly — the French restaurant downtown Father? Do you have no shame?" I muttered, tapping my fingers on the desk as I gave him an accusatory look. "And using this 'father–son chat' as an excuse to send them off to take care of the merger? You are truly the most conniving, low–"

"I'm afraid I have no idea what you're alluding to, Sesshoumaru. And don't try to change the subject," he huffed, crossing his arms over his chest and feigning a look of innocence. "_We_ are having a talk here boy that concerns your well-being — and it most certainly is not an 'excuse'. I'm hurt and offended that you would even think something like tha–"

"My well-being is more than covered — thank you very much," I cut in curtly and turned back to my computer as a clear sign that our discussion was over.

He laughed and turned on his heels, walking into his office, "Forgive me for having my doubts. After all, how can you blame me — it's the first time I actually thought the tabloids had maybe gotten _something_ right.

Well _that_ got my attention.

"What?"

"Oh yes," he smiled wolfishly, eyes sparkling wickedly as he leaned around the door frame, "didn't you know? You two are dating — in fact you're getting pretty _serious_ lately."

"Wha–"

"Maybe you should take the rest of the day off."

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_Damn you, Dad — you accursed romantic. Damn you and your never-ending devious, no good –_

"Inuyasha," Kikyo's voice temporarily broke me out of my internal raging, "Something you father said back there has me somewhat confused."

_Oh, well, that makes one of us – because from my point of view it's all too clear. Ignorance is bliss._

"And what was that?" I asked, fuming as I poked the elevator door a little more roughly than I should have. The plastic cover of the button shattered and my finger went through the little bulb, effectively destroying it. She blinked in surprise but otherwise said nothing as the elevator doors slid open with a long 'ding.'

"He said that you did all of the work on this project. By 'all of the work' he really meant 'some of it', correct?" she asked as we both stared straight ahead at the closing doors, refusing to let our eyes meet.

After our last meeting I had been doing _everything_ I could to avoid her. She was going to figure out soon that I had only been playing dumb around her and when she did it wouldn't be pretty but…mostly I had stayed away because of that one _moment_.

The moment where time had stopped at such a simple action; a touching of hands.

No amount of amusement that I got from getting a rise out of her was worth risking a repeat of _that_ atrocious, disgusting occurrence. I had done quite a good job of avoiding her as well, but now – damn it all – I had to go work with her on a project that would take several hours to complete.

At the new French restaurant downtown.

_Coincidence? I think not_.

"Sure Kikyo," I snapped, too rattled by the distasteful situation to care about my usual act around her, "I'm sure that's what he meant."

"Of course," she breathed, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the obvious relief lacing her tone.

'' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' ''

Twenty minutes later we arrived at the restaurant and were led to the seats that Mr. Taisho had reserved where I gratefully accepted the wine of the day. Might as well have _some_ pleasure, however small, with my torture – because that's what the next couple of hours were going to be: pure torture. And worse, because I was going to be working with the Village Idiot, the typically long process would only become even longer.

_Joy._

_Do I seem to be lacking in enthusiasm… because I __**am**_.

"Let's get this over with," Inuyasha ground out, voice rough with frustration. "The sooner this is over the better."

I looked up at him in surprise and found his golden eyes swirling angrily as he began pulling files out of his briefcase. Setting my menu down I nodded briskly, "I couldn't agree with you more." _As disturbing as that is._

As we poured over the information and continued to empty glass after glass of wine and various cocktails it became rapidly apparent that something had happened.

The behemoth was gone and in its place, in an identical body with an identical voice, was a business wizard.

_What the –_

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_

"What the hell," she mumbled suddenly, interrupting me mid-sentence.

"Excuse me," I asked, eyebrow arched in confusion as I stopped tapping my pen on the graph that I had been discussing.

She twitched and tearing her eyes away from the papers on the table between us looked up at me with big innocent eyes. "What?"

"Did you just–"

"No, I didn't say anything, just listening. Go ahead," she smiled sweetly and I narrowed my eyes at her.

"You just said, 'What the hell.' Why? I don't see anything strange about the graph so what's going on?" I pinned her with a look that said, 'Don't even try to bluff,' and she hit me with a sharp glare, cold as ice.

I sighed and added with much long-suffering, "Look, you never smile at me like that or talk to me like that – I'm not that stupid so what's y–"

"That's it!" she suddenly blurted loudly, drawing the room's attention. I blinked in surprise as she continued, eye's blazing with triumph as she pointed an emphatic finger at my face. "That's just it! Who are you and what have you done to Inuyasha? Because I know that ignoramus could never carry on a competent conversation for this long."

_Ah yes, see how I am honored and revered._

"So what's going on," she continued, bringing her goblet to her lips and taking a slow sip. Before I realized it I found my eyes lingering on said lips and with no small amount of horror broke myself away from that dangerous lapse in sanity.

_No, no, no. __**Bad!**__ This is Kikyo we are talking about – not a normal person – not someone that I could actually be attracted to – damn it._

"So where are the cameras and the wires? When are they going to jump up and say, "Surprise! Your on TV!" she was continuing as I tried to collect myself.

For some reason I was failing miserably however as I found my eyes momentarily snared by her intelligent brown ones.

_What is wrong with me?_ I thought frantically as I turned away from her chocolate gaze to stare out the window at the mobs of people on the sidewalk outside.

_It must be the cocktails,_ a small voice reasoned and I eagerly accepted the idea – any straw I could grab in my desperation. Because, if it wasn't the alcohol's fault…then, well….then I was going insane.

Because the Ice Queen is the last person I would ever be interested in.

'' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' ''

I couldn't have been happier when he pulled his gaze away and turned to look out the window at the people on the street. The way my stomach had fluttered when he'd looked at me – was more than unpleasant – as well as unwanted. I looked at the wine goblet in my hand and frowned. _Maybe drinking so much wasn't such a good idea…Damn._

I was perplexed though about this whole disconcerting situation and a perplexed lawyer is an unhappy one – so despite my misgivings about it I pressed on.

"How come you actually understand all of this? Not only that, how come you're actually _good_ at this?" I asked as he continued to stare out the window. As I watched him a small voice broke into my thoughts,_Look at those incredible eyes._

_Incredible ey- what the HELL?!_ I yelped and set the wine down as quickly as I could without spilling any of it. Staring at it in horror I wondered for a moment if it was spiked. Because I would never _**ever**_ — while sane — think about Inuyasha — any part of him — in _that_ way. **Ever.**

_That's it, _I thought frantically, _it must be spiked. Or maybe I'm getting delirious. Or maybe I'm having a nightma–_

"I've told you before Ms. Sagai," he said suddenly, voice strangely quiet… Low and soft — smooth and rich as velvet. I looked up at him in surprise, a shiver running up my spine at his strange behavior. He turned away from the window then and our eyes caught, "Maybe you don't know me as well as you think you do." As he spoke the words his eyes seemed to communicate some deeper meaning and I had the sudden sensation of drowning. Falling in the sea of gold I was too lost and confused to comprehend what his words entailed, but he turned away again and as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped over my head it hit me.

He'd been faking it.

All these years he'd been faking it!

"You rotten, no good low-life **bastard**!"

£ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £

"Tokyo's Most Sought After Bachelor — Taken!"

"Who's the Lucky Girl Who's Caught Japan's Number One Male Icon?"

"Japan's Hottest Male: His Sizzling Secret — REVEALED!"

"Sesshoumaru Taisho's Mistress — Who Is She?"

Oh and my personal favorite:

"Sesshoumaru Taisho, Sexy Business Tycoon, Soon to Announce Wedding Date."

What is all this, you ask? It looks like headlines, you say. _Ding-ding-ding! We have a winner here folks._ That's right – those are only a few of the headlines that I found in magazines, newspapers and tabloids after I left Starbucks. Not only was I in one newspaper but in _several,_ and in an even greater number of tabloids. With even more pictures of course – courtesy of my friendly neighborhood paparazzi.

At the last paper stand I'd stopped at the clerk had stared at me for a moment before he grinned and pointed a finger in my face. "Hey," he smirked, "you're that girl. The one sleeping with that rich, pretty boy, aren't you?"

I couldn't help it. I burst out laughing right in his face — good old loud, obnoxious laughter — and turned on my heel and walked away flinging a complementary, "Nutcase," over my shoulder.

I mean — honestly — the whole situation was just comical; outrageous. If you looked at it from the right angle, I mean I wasn't even officially dating the man. But apparently we were having this hot, scandalous love affair. Our relationship — as it was in reality and not in the world of journalists — was in my opinion "hot" and "passionate" and really more than I would have dreamed possible but…well, our relationship was painfully lacking in the "scandalous" department. Thank God.

Truthfully I'd been surprised when I found the article about us in the Mainichi newspaper, but deep down it wasn't a shock. That's what happens to the people who get their lives tangled with the rich and famous – and as much as Sesshoumaru was a million other – more important – things to me, in the eyes of the world of journalism that's what he was. The brilliant, sexy, business tycoon who inspired serious swooning in all females that laid eyes upon him. Any story with him involved would sell like hot cakes and they knew it. And let's face it – the scene of him helping some unknown woman in a case against Naraku Hayashi – curse him in all of his abounding sliminess – was enough to send any journalist into a salivating frenzy.

After I got off the train station near my apartment I pulled my cell out of my purse and pushed Sango's number, pinning the phone between my ear and shoulder as I continued walking.

On the third ring she chirped sweetly, "Yes, ma-am, and what can I do for you, my darling?"

I snorted and got right to the point, "So I picked up a newspaper today."

"Really," she gasped as if it was a shock.

"Yeah, I sure did. Someone left it on my favorite table at Starbucks so I started leafing through it and you wouldn't believe what I found," I continued nonchalantly.

"Let me guess," she cried enthusiastically, "another article about global warming!"

"No, not qui– ," I started but then chuckled, "Well, actually there _was,_ but there was something _else_."

"Hmm," she said thoughtfully.

"I'll give you a clue," I smiled as I reached my apartment's lot. "It was in the gossip column — you know, the part I always ignore and would have ignored today except that when I starting flipping through the pages at one point it happened to open up there."

"Ah, shit Kags," she hissed, vehemently rueful. "It's about time you finally–"

"How long have they been going on?" I cut her off, my laughter already making my voice quake noticeably.

"Well, damn it, how long do you think," she grumbled and I could just see her rolling her eyes. "Since the court case. How else did you think the vultures would react? Hell, Miroku and I would've been all over it ourselves if you weren't our friend."

"Of course," I smiled ruefully. "I hoped that it wouldn't happen though — as futile as that is. I knew about the ones covering the case, but — well I had no idea about the ones covering our _wild love life_. Honestly, the writer for **Glam** did such a wonderful job getting all of the details across — I almost believed him myself," I tittered and Sango let out a boisterous laugh.

"Ah yes," she barked mischievously, "So you saw that one too, huh?"

"Yes ma-am," I nodded emphatically even though I knew she couldn't see me. Reaching the door to my apartment I fished around for my keys and then fumbled a little longer with the lock. "Next time though," I muttered as I threw the door open only to be tackled by a _very_ happy Siberian who was intent on telling me just how much she'd missed me, "tell me for crying out loud! So I don't find out while I'm in the middle of a perfectly good Azuki frappaccino – I almost dropped it and you know how tragic that would have been," I chided as I struggled to shut the door while Ran continued to shower me with her affections.

"Oh, heaven forbid," she gasped in horror. "Not an Azuki frappaccino! The near loss – I shudder at the thought!"

"Serves you right Missy!" I huffed and plunked down on my couch, bouncing a few times for good measure.

"Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous," she crowed in a singsong voice and I replied with a few…choice words…that I will refrain from repeating a second time. _Thank you very much._

"They're always complainin'! Always complainin'!"

\ / \ / \ / \ / \ /\ / \ / \ / \ / \ /\ / \ / \ / \ / \ /

I stood staring at the front door for a moment, contemplating the "hows".

For example, "How would she react when she opened the door and found me on the other side?" _If she would even open the door?_

"How many of the accursed products of the media had she already seen?" _If she hadn't seen the one in __Glam__ yet maybe…_

My go– She had every right to feel annoyed or…or upset or… Heaven forbid it, but maybe she would feel like it wasn't worth it — having her name all over the tabloids, pictures of us stealing her privacy, articles pumped full of juicy lies that spit on her character. I was used to it — I'd had to deal with the media for years, but this… this was just too terrible. This was no doubt very hard on her, very upsetting. The thought of her being hurt by all of this left me with a painful twisted knot in my gut.

I swallowed as I continued to stare at the door.

"How could I make it up to her?" _If I even could._

"How should I apologize for not making it official yet?" _If it wasn't already too late._

And as these questions and doubts swirled around in my head, making my lungs tighten painfully, my muscles tense I wondered how I could have been so **stupid**.

I didn't get much time to contemplate that last question however before the frenzied, and oh, so lovable, fur-ball on the other side of the door started announcing my presence in loud, jubilant howls. I smothered a nervous groan as I heard Kagome's musical voice call out amiably from her living room and forced myself to look calmly at the peephole.

'Nervous groan'? 'Look calmly?' No, that's right, your eyes aren't deceiving you. I, Sesshoumaru Taisho, was nervous. _And no, the sky is not falling — this is not the end of the world; don't act so shocked._ This is Kagome we're talking about. And really nothing at that moment was scarier…because who is it that holds my heart in the palm of their delicate hand?

Kagome.

And so as her soft footsteps grew closer to the door I waited with bated breath feeling not unlike a puppy that has just trashed the garden and knows it's in for a good scolding.

Of course I kept my game face — a charade of perfect nonchalance — firmly in place with only a little difficulty as the bolts of the door slid back and the doorknob turned.

How could such a normal action suddenly feel so ominous? My go-

"Hey, lover-boy."

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When I looked through my peephole and found — to my delight — Sesshoumaru standing on the other side of my door I couldn't resist the sudden urge to have a little fun. I mean, who better to laugh with — because I could either look at this problem from the media with humor or with horror and I definitely choose humor! — than the other victim of the tabloids?

Sliding the bolts out of place and grabbing the doorknob I turned it, swinging the door open smoothly, simultaneously leaning my hip against the doorframe in what I supposed to be a seductive pose. Staring up at him with smoldering eyes from beneath partially lowered eyelashes I purred warmly, "Hey, lover-boy."

Yes, so I was being unbelievably ridiculous but, well, I figured I'd earned the right after being made a part of all those ludicrous articles. And yes, my choice of words had been very stupid – on purpose – so that it would be obvious that I was just joking. But then why did he react like…like that?

Golden eyes widened fractionally, mouth slightly ajar he just…just _stared_ at me as if I'd grown a second head.

And perhaps I had.

Blinking in confusion and not a little bit of embarrassment I brought my hand up to check my shoulders to make sure that I wasn't suffering from a sudden bout of mutation. Finding very quickly that I was suffering from no such problem I turned my gaze back to look sharply up at him — glazed golden eyes, slack jaw, and all.

_And Sesshoumaru Taisho finally realizes his mistake – that he's become involved with a total dork. With a weird sense of humor._

_Lovely._

I felt my cheeks grow red as he continued to stare at me in his dumbfounded stupor and after a few long moments I couldn't take it anymore and giggled nervously. "Sorry, um, just wanted to poke fun at all those lame articles and all — I thought maybe you'd seen them, too," I paused for a long moment, hands twisting uncomfortably behind my back as I looked down at my feet – which were suddenly _very_ interesting and absorbing with their pretty blue polish done in a skillful gradient – because nail polish is just _so_ much nicer to look at than the man of your dreams who also happens to be unbelievably drool inspiring. Because now instead of looking at you with those gold eyes warm and soft with affection he's looking at you like you must have hit your head and lost your mind. Hmm, yes, would you like at that nice paint job on my toes…

Oh, go-

"So, um, what brings you here today?" I forced myself to chirp casually — as if I didn't feel like disappearing on the spot — and simultaneously tore my eyes away from my toes.

He blinked owlishly — as if despite the fact that he'd been standing there in front of me he hadn't really been _there_ — and snapped his mouth shut. Instead of following my question however, fingers crossed in the hopes that he would, he asked in a voice that sounded rough and slightly strangled, "Did you just…call me 'lover-boy'?"

That was it. My cheeks — they were now officially fire hydrant red if the heat that jumped to the surface at his words was anything to go by. And by experience I feel I can say that is was.

_Damn_.

"Who, me," I looked up at him innocently, trying desperately to wipe the blush from my face. "No, of course not," I grinned broadly but instead of letting it go – _please!_ – he shook his head stubbornly.

"No, you did. You called me 'lover-boy'," he murmured, eyebrows drawn together in a thoughtful scowl.

Groaning I rolled my eyes and put my hands on my hips. Sometimes when you're feeling terribly embarrassed you can get a bit defensive and exasperated. Come on; give me a break here people. How would _you_ feel?

"Look, I'm sorry, but what did you expect me to do when–"

But then, before I could even finish my righteously indignant spiel I was reminded by how inhuman he was when before my eyes could even register movement I found myself caught up in a pair of strong arms while a pair of strong sensuous lips claimed mine.

_Oh. Um…ok._

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_

"Oh, quick! Daisuke! She's openingissed excitedly. "Come _on_, you sloth! I'd like to get some shots _today_, not next week._Damn it._"

"Get a grip you over-exaggerating–" he grumbled as he put the camera up to his eye — oh so _slowly_.

"Shut up and _shoot_ already," I snapped, rolling my eyes in long suffering before turning back to the scene that was playing out across from us.

"Man, she is _hot_," Daisuke murmured under his breath. "I don't think I'd ever get tired of taking pictures of that sexy little–"

"Oh, please let's not start. You know how much I hate listening to your perverted ramblings," I groaned without sparing him a glance. The action in front of us was just too good.

"Seems like she's getting a little embarrassed, huh, Miho?" he commented as the camera continued clicking away merrily — a sound like music to my ears.

"Aren't you glad I insisted on finding her address and coming over here today," I smirked as I continued to watch the couple. "I told you, 'Friday would have a high chance of the two of them meeting,' didn't I?"

"That you did," he grinned wolfishly, taking his eyes away from the lens a moment to look at me with a wicked sparkle in his eyes. "And I'm rather liking the money that we're going to get from these pictures. Very much."

"As am I," I smiled, "now keep your eyes on them already, idiot."

"Why don't you try to quit throwing insults all the time, Mi-"

"Holy shit," I squeaked excitedly, "they're kissing! Daisuke-"

"I got it, I got it," he chuckled darkly and I sat back with a content sigh as the sound of money echoed in my ears.

\ / \ / \ / \ / \ /\ / \ / \ / \ / \ /\ / \ / \ / \ / \ /

To say that it was the last thing I'd expected her to do would not be an understatement. In the slightest. No, here I'd been all tense and nervous and the first thing she does is open the door, stand there in a mind-blowing manner that was far too seductive to be healthy, and then in a voice as smooth and rich as temptation itself said, "Hey, lover-boy."

Well of course I was surprised. Even if it did take me several long moments to actually realize what she'd _said_. I'd been a bit preoccupied with her posture and that voice and those _eyes_. My go– the eyes had been enough — on their own — to send me over the edge. Blue oceans of wanton desire, they'd swirled with an undeniable invitation and I'd been left speechless — as well as completely incapable of a single coherent thought.

After my mind came back from who-knows-where her words finally hit me and left me feeling more than a little confused. By that time she was looking up at me with an amazing blush and going on about something in her normal sweet voice. Instead of the one that had made my skin feel like it was on fire.

_Ahem._

I snapped my mouth closed – which I realized was hanging open and collecting dust – and tried not to blush before I asked, "Did you just…call me 'lover-boy'?"

I felt I needed clarification for the puddle of goo that was currently my excuse for a brain.

Her blush darkened immediately but she still tried to deny it. The fib and her embarrassment hung in the air between us and with my eyebrows drawn down into a scowl of concentration I caught her on it.

Her blush was very quickly replaced with a flustered look as she placed her hands on her hips. She couldn't have looked more adorable if she'd tried. Still out of it from her mind-blowing behavior from earlier I completely forgot about the reason I'd come in the first place and moved into autopilot. Which meant I did exactly what my mind was now telling me was the proper response to that seductive voice and those longing eyes from earlier.

So what if my response was a few minutes late in coming? Did that stop me from losing control of myself? Hardly. Because the fact is, around Kagome I never have had much control.

Fortunately, she doesn't seem to mind.

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I was officially in La-La-Land, Heaven, Paradise — whatever you want to call it — I was _so_ there.

Because, that's just what happens when he and I lock lips…

Or when he looks at me… Or speaks to me… Or just is anywhere around me for that matter…

So yeah, I'm just a little bit taken with him. "Little" — as in extremely, painfully, dangerously.

I was more than happy to be swept away to the Land of Bliss right there on the landing and was rather enjoying myself. All too soon however, he pulled away with a slightly dazed look on his face, pale cheeks stained with the faintest tinge of red.

"Sorry," he mumbled, and I noted with no small amount of satisfaction that he was just as breathless as I was.

But what he was apologizing for I had no idea. I decided to mention this as he placed his forehead against mine and closed his eyes with a low rumble that reverberated gently up out of his chest. "I don't know why you're apologizing," I murmured, standing on tiptoe to claim his lips with my own but he pulled back and held me at arms length before I could reach him.

"Perhaps we should move this inside," he started, coughing slightly, his voice low and husky.

"Ah."

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_Well, there's no use denying it anymore — Dad's vile interfering has more than made sure of __**that**_ I thought glumly. _Best prepare myself for the impending explosion._ I continued to stare out the window though as she continued her questioning. I knew she wouldn't stop. Kikyo didn't stop. That was her job after all, digging around and finding the evidence. And she was damn good at her job.

"How come you actually understand all of this? Not only that, how come you're actually _good_ at this?" she asked, voice getting louder and I resisted the urge to groan in frustration as I tried to think of the smoothest possible way out of this. The one with the least amount of screaming and throwing of breakable or heavy objects.

I watched as she suddenly set the goblet of wine down on the table staring at it with a horrified look on her face. Perhaps she'd found a bug in it. That would certainly explain the look of disgust she was shooting the goblet with.

I decided I'd put it off as long as possible and with a nearly inaudible sigh started very quietly, eyes still on the crowd outside the window, "I've told you before Ms. Sagai…" I paused and turned to look at her and nearly cursed as our eyes caught and I found myself spinning out of control into a pair of rich dark brown eyes that reflected my feelings of shock and bewilderment.

_What the hell was in all those cocktails?!_

"Maybe you don't know me as well as you think you do," I finished simply, knowing that she'd figure it out on her own in no time. No need to spell it out. I turned away, breaking the connection that had left me more than a little unnerved and reminded me more than I liked of that time in the café. Then I heard the sharp intake of breath and I couldn't help but wince, knowing what was coming next.

"You rotten, no good, low-life **bastard**!" was the first thing out of her lips in a low hiss that made it all too clear how angry she was. I didn't miss how heads turned at the tables closest to us.

"You've been lying! All these years! Lying," she continued, her voice growing louder in her righteous indignation. Now that we had half of the restaurant's attention I decided it was time to try to placate her. Or something.

"True, but –"

"You," she stood up from her chair so quickly that it wobbled dangerously on its back legs, nearly falling over as she pointed a trembling finger in my face, "don't even open that mouth of yours or I'll make sure you regret you – you –"

Looking at the faces surrounding us, some looking curious, others looking reproachful I realized they thought I had cheated on her. Which would entail that we were actually a couple.

_Oh gag me, as if._

I sighed and stood up, holding my hands up in a placating manner. "Come on Kikyo," I started but she just put her hand up in the universal sign of "STOP" and turned around on her heel, walking out of the restaurant with her head high. And wobbling noticeably.

_I will kill you the next time I see you, Taisho, mark my words, you dirty –_

Calling a waiter I told him to watch the papers and threw some bills on the table before I stormed out the door after her. The sooner I got her calmed down, the sooner we could finish and the sooner I could go and kill my Father. Scanning the crowded street outside the restaurant it didn't take me long to spot her, her head of silky black hair noticeably higher than the majority of the crowd. _That's what you get for having a build like a runway model,_ I thought before I could stop myself.

Growling I pushed my way through the crowd, catching up with her in no time I placed my hand on her left shoulder, opening my mouth to say her name – only to have her fist connect with the side of my face as she whirled around.

For such a slender woman – one who was noticeably tipsy at that – she had a surprisingly solid right-hook.

Wincing and grabbing her arm I drug her off to an empty side street where I took both her arms and pinned them firmly to her sides. Sighing I said, "Ok, I deserved tha-"

But I was cut short as her knee headed for that place women like to attack most while she glared bullets at me – I barely managed to stop her, but thank God I did. Angry women have no mercy. I speak from experience. They also have no end of determination.

So doing the first thing that came to mind to keep her from trying to hit me there again I pulled her flush against my chest, making sure she wouldn't be able move her legs around, and kept my hands firmly clasped on her arms. If I'd thought she was mad before, she was even more furious now. Her face was flushed and her eyes were positively livid.

And she'd never looked more splendid.

"You let go of me right now Inuyasha, or I swear I'll scream," she hissed angrily.

"Sagai," I said tiredly, "would you just calm dow–"

"No I won't _calm down_!" she snapped, sticking her nose right up against mine, glaring murderously. "You can't just go around hauling me into an alleyway and taking hold of me any way you feel like it, you lying bastard. And don't even get me started on the whole faking it business."

I decided it wouldn't be wise to point out that it was _not_ an alleyway and that the only reason I'd pulled her this close – because I would never do that out of want or desire, heaven forbid – was because she'd tried kicking me in the most vulnerable area of my person.

"What?" she was growling through clenched teeth, "What, did you think it was funny? Huh? Pretending to be stupid all these years? Making my work difficult? You lazy, no good –"

Shaking her slightly I ground out, "Sorry to disappoint you Sagai but, unlike you I like to have a laugh every now and then. You should try it sometime."

She scoffed, "Despite what you may think _Taisho_, I know how to have a laugh. And not at the expense of _others_." She said the last word with a sharp emphasis as she butted her forehead roughly against mine, her struggles starting anew.

"I was just trying to get you to _lighten up_," I growled, pushing right back – anything to keep her face from getting so close. "Or maybe you like having the nickname, 'Ice Queen'."

"'Ice Queen'? I'm impressed," she laughed angrily as she butted heads with me again, our noses pressing together. "What made you think it was your job to make me – as you put it – 'lighten up' anyway? Huh?!"

"Look," I sighed, "you have every right to be angry with me. I'm sorry."

"You bet I have every right," she hissed. "Now let go of me before I _really_ make you sorry."

"Sagai, can we please talk about this calmly like two adults?" I muttered tiredly as I looked down into those fiery brown eyes so close to mine.

Too close in fact.

"Oh, _now_ you want to act like an adult? Isn't it a little too late for that Inuyasha?!"

"I shouldn't have done it, ok," I shook her – a little more roughly than I meant to – maybe it had something to do with the feeling of panic that was bubbling up in my chest as I became aware of how our struggle, the large amount of alcohol I'd consumed, and the way she was pressed so close that I could feel every curve of her body, was beginning to effect me.

And to say the least I didn't like the effect it was having.

Not one bit.

"I'm sorry, ok," I bit out, trying to ignore how the whole situation was getting to me. "It was stupid of me, I admit it, ok?" She just continued to glare stubbornly so, desperate to get away from her, I let a pleading note creep into my voice.

_Talk about degrading._

Me. Pleading. With the Ice Queen of all people!

"You just were always so stiff and formal when you started working at the company. The few times I tried to be friendly — you know, you were new so I thought maybe you were nervous — you brushed it off. And I'll admit, I can never resist a good joke and so — well, one thing led to another and I found out the only way I could get that insufferable mask of yours to crack was if I made you mad. And the best way to do that? Well you know the rest," I sighed and glanced back at her eyes. Which only looked angrier than before — if that was possible.

So much for pleading.

There was a long, tense silence that sat between us for what seemed like an eternity until her eyes grew dull and I thought she was going to finally give in.

And that my friends, is why they always tell you, "Don't count your chickens before they hatch."

"Inuyasha," she said quietly, "I give you to the count of three to get your hands off of me before I scream loud enough to deafen your grandchildren."

"Dammit Kikyo," I groaned.

"One," she bit out stubbornly.

"Kikyo, don't do this," I begged.

"Two," she snapped.

"Look, I'm sorry! What else do you want from me, damn it?"

"Three," she frowned and then opened her mouth to suck in a big lungful of air to do just what she'd threatened.

And she would do it. This was Kikyo I was dealing with after all. She would do it with_relish_.

So I did the only thing I could think to do in that split second before she let it rip.

And I would like to say right here and now that I blame the liquor.

Because I would never,_ever,_ for any reason choose to silence her in such a repulsive manner if I was in a normal frame of mind.

**EVER**.

'' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' ''

"So my beautiful fiancé, we have about two months left until our wedding," I purred, coming up behind her and wrapping my arms around her shoulders as she sat in her chair finishing up her article.

She turned and gave me a smile that had my heart fluttering giddily in my chest. "So we do."

"What's say we go celebrate? Tonight? After work?" I whispered in her ear and couldn't help the grin that pulled at my lips as she shivered.

"Hmm," she mumbled, pausing in her typing before she turned to me with a contemplative look in her beautiful brown eyes.

"It is Friday," I gave her my best winning smile but she tilted her head with an apologetic frown so I stuck my lip out in a pout. "Please?"

"I don't know," she drawled.

Spinning her around in the chair — hooray for swivel chairs — I dropped down to my knees and clasped my hands together. "Sango, my darling, I beg you, please don't sa–"

"Oh my go- Miroku, will you get a room already," Miwa burst out laughing before her shoe hit me in the back of the head. "And you, Sango, quit yanking his chain!"

"Miwa!" I gasped in mock sorrow as I turned to face Sango's secretary but she just shook a finger at me as Sango's musical peals of laughter filled the air.

"You mister, are still on the clock, are you not?" she glowered at me, but I didn't miss the twinkle of amusement dancing in her dark eyes.

"Yes, but –"

"Back upstairs to the entertainment department. Before your boss discovers you're missing."

"Yes, ma'am," I sighed mournfully and turned to look at Sango balefully. She was still in her chair shaking with laughter, tears sliding down her face as she held her sides. Catching my look she nodded, and waved a hand at me to go – after she'd given me a thumbs up of course.

Which meant 'yes'. Which meant I had achieved my goal. And risking the wrath of a hundred high-heeled shoes would have been worth it.

\ / \ / \ / \ / \ /\ / \ / \ / \ / \ /\ / \ / \ / \ / \ /

As much I wanted to continue the kissing once we were inside her apartment — away from any prying eyes — the brief pause had given me enough time to clear my head. Consequently causing me to remember the purpose of my impromptu visit.

To remedy my mistake.

Sitting down on the couch I took a deep breath and decided to just wing it.

Taking her small hand in mine I pulled her down onto the couch beside me. "Kagome, actually, the reason I came over here," I paused, realizing as she looked at me with those big baby blues that I really didn't like the whole idea of "winging it". Somehow that just seemed like a really bad idea — you didn't just "wing" something this important. And as her eyes grew cloudy with what I realized was apprehension it hit me just how my words and expression could be translated incorrectly.

_Well shite. Hurry up and spit it out before you scare her for no reason._

"Is because I realized I've made a terrible mistake."

_Damn it all._

Her eyes grew about as big as saucers for a split second before they grew carefully detached. I cursed the strange ability she had for turning me into a bumbling idiot.

But there was no choice but to charge forward now before she cut me off — under a completely wrong assumption.

"You see, I realized that — well, actually I owe you an apology," I paused and tried to get control over my mouth — which was currently only making things worse. "Kagome, I'm sorry. I should have done this long before today."

Her apprehension was apparent but suddenly there was a stubborn set to her jaw. Squaring her shoulders she cocked an eyebrow at me, appraising.

£ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £

"You see, I realized that — well, actually I owe you an apology," he continued in that rich voice, soft as velvet. And for once his voice did nothing to sooth my racing heart – because this was it, I was sure of it.

It — whatever it was we had — wasn't worth the trouble. He'd decided that I wasn't what he wanted.

My first reaction was to pull into myself, to give up — collapse — in the hopes that it would hurt less when he finally spit it out and left me to collect the shattered pieces of my heart.

_What bollocks, _a little voice suddenly snapped in my head. _You've got to be kidding me. You're going to cave that fast — you're just going to give up? _

"Kagome, I'm sorry. I should have done this long before today."

_And maybe even worse — you're going to believe he's even capable of something so __**low**__? No, no this is just __**stupid**_

And it was, I realized. Just stupid. I am _not_ a doormat. Nor is Sesshoumaru a jerk. So, I decided, it was time to ask him what in the world he was trying to say. Before it got any more confusing.

"Sesshoumaru," I started, "you aren't making much sense. You should have done what exactly?"

He blinked at me for a moment, golden eyes blank; uncomprehending. "Kagome, I – gods this is difficult."

"Ok," I laughed as he tugged uncomfortably at his tie, "where is the confident business tycoon Japan knows and loves?" I waggled my eyebrows, teasing, and watched with some relief as the rigid set to his shoulders melted away.

Leaning back against the couch he let out a short bark of laughter, running his fingers through his hair in an exasperated gesture. "Do you realize how_hard _it can be to talk to you sometimes?"

"Ouch," I winced.

"Oh damn it all," he sighed, covering his face with his hands, "I swear Kagome; I never have this much trouble with other people!"

I laughed and reached across the space between us to flick him playfully on the head. He turned, dragging his hands down his face as he gave me a very petulant look, golden orbs swimming with shades of long-suffering.

How he still managed to look drool inspiring even while he was _dragging_ his hands down his face I cannot figure out. If anyone else did that they'd just look bad — I mean, you know how scary people can look when they pull their cheeks down and the red shows under their eyes and– Oh never mind. Anyway, apparently if you were Sesshoumaru you could still look hot, even when you were doing something as unflattering as stretching your face out.

Damn him. Talk about unfair.

"I don't know how you can find _me_ difficult to talk to when you can walk into a room of big-wigs and run them over without batting an eye," I smiled and took his hands in mine, placing them on his lap, moving closer to him until our legs were touching.

"You have no idea," he grumbled.

"Ook," I frowned thoughtfully, "how about you explain to me why you want to apologize? Because the last time I checked you didn't have anything to apologize for so you kind of lost me on that one."

"Sorry."

"And gave me a heart attack. Good Gad Sesshoumaru, you almost made it sound like you were breaking up with me. _Before_ we even started going out!" I arched an eyebrow and he winced.

"Hit the nail on the head."

"Wha–"

"Oh go- I mean about 'going out' — I'm not breaking up with you," he hurried. "I mean, you're right, we aren't going out yet. But that's what I want to apologize for. That's what I want to _fix_." He smiled nervously and glanced down at our hands. When he looked back our eyes caught and I felt like I was drowning in the sun itself; they held such warmth, such fire that I felt a shiver run unbidden up my spine as I sat rooted to the spot, all intelligent thought gone from my mind. There was nothing but him — us — the feeling of his skin on mine, the sound of our breathing, the smell that was so uniquely his.

His eyes holding mine captive he continued, "Will you give me the opportunity to correct that? Kagome, will you," he paused, searching for the right word, "go out with me?"

Can I just say right here and now that my mind exploded at this point? My mind from empty to full-to-bursting in a split second; I had so many thoughts whizzing around in my head. But above all I felt so happy and so after a moments hesitation — because I couldn't get my mouth to work at first — I decided I'd better give my answer quickly. Before he changed his mind.

When I opened my mouth to answer all I managed to get out was the letter "y" before I found — for the second time in only a matter of minutes, oh yes, today was turning out to be a _very_ good day! — those familiar arms pulling me into his lap and simultaneously pressing me against his chest while his lips brought an end to my response.

His arms loosened after a long moment and his right hand moved up my back to tangle in my hair at the base of my neck as he pressed me closer, his lips running over mine like hungry flames, wild and burning; consuming. When I thought I would lose my senses from the pleasure — that was enough to make me sure I would combust if he didn't stop — he began raining kisses down my cheek, over the shell of my ear, down my neck along the jugular where my pulse jumped wildly, down to my collar bone while his hands ran down my sides leaving scalding trails in there wake. A low growl rumbled up from his chest as he brought his lips back to my ear. "Kagome," he breathed and I shuddered in anticipation at the heat in his voice, "do you know how much you mean to me?"

"Hmm," I murmured into his cheek, "why don't you tell me?"

"My pleasure," he laughed, leaning forward until I was lying on my back. "My beautiful," he smiled as he placed his arms on either side of me, "intelligent," and hovered just above me, a fraction of space between us, "loving Kagome." Cupping my cheek with one hand as he touched his nose to mine, our lips so close I could feel his breath on my skin, "You are the sun." His lips slid over mine as he closed the space between us, and my heart jumped wildly, like a bird startled into flight, against my ribs. "The center," he kissed me again, this time on my cheek, "My everything," and then the other.

It was at that moment, as I was reveling in being so close to him — which let me tell you, having Sesshoumaru's heavenly body pressed against yours makes it really hard to think about much else — and wishing that this moment could never end as he deepened his kiss once more and filled me with such unadulterated happiness that a cold, wet nose pushed itself between us.

Spluttering we separated and Sesshoumaru propped himself up on his elbows as he turned to glare at the offender. I drug the back of my hand over my mouth, trying to wipe off the doggie germs and I couldn't help but laugh as Ran grinned unabashed back at Sesshoumaru.

"Apparently," Sesshoumaru sighed, "Ran thinks we've had enough time to ourselves."

'' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' ''

I have kissed more women than I would care to remember, let alone mention. I am after all, unlike my brother, very much a man who does not think himself above women and takes pleasure in having healthy relationships with them. Therefore it was not entirely uncommon for me to take a woman out on a date and more often than not, end said date with a kiss. Or two. All right — make that several.

But apparently, even added together, they weren't enough to prepare me for what happened in that side street.

'' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' ''

I was frantic to get away from him so that my heart could just slow down and I could stop thinking about the way it felt being pulled so close to his undeniably well-muscled chest. Or the way my skin felt under his hands. Or the way I felt dizzy every time I made contact with those golden eyes of his.

If I didn't get away from him _immediately_ I was going to lose it.

And I place full blame on the wine, because I would never feel anything other than repulsion if he'd held me to him like that if I'd had nothing to drink. I swear.

But then, before I could scream, before I could escape, I suddenly found a pair of strong, shockingly sensuous lips pressed against mine — the world seemed to stop for a millisecond before it exploded in a cacophony of sensations that left me breathless.

And before I knew it our lips were no longer merely pressed together, but they were moving. Mine, to my horror seemed to be moving with a volition all their own as my legs grew limp. His arms slid around me and pulled me impossibly closer and despite the voice screaming protests in my mind — I let him. It was as if someone else had taken over the wheel and I was left helpless, only capable of watching as he continued the kiss. And then my arms were snaking around his neck and his hands were running down my back, leaving burning hot paths in their wake that had me shivering despite myself.

It only got worse.

Because then — even as I was screaming in my head not to — _I_ deepened the kiss. That's right, my traitorous, inebriated body deepened the kiss that never should have happened in the first place. And then I felt myself flush as a groan of pleasure escaped his lips and he reciprocated with such heat and passion that all rational thought, all sense of time abandoned me and there was nothing else but him.

Apparently I was _far_ drunker than I'd realized.

Because the only other possibility — that I might actually be _attracted_ to him — was far worse.

'' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' ''

I curse the moment our lips touched because when they did I was left wondering why no one else had ever felt so good, so _right_. And I realized that I wasn't going to feel satisfied with any other woman — possibly for the next fifty years. At least.

I tried to pull away. I swear I did. But I suddenly found my arms wrapping around her slender waist, pulling her close as I pressed harder against those lips that made me feel like there was fire dancing over my skin. It only grew harder when I found her arms around my neck and my hands running down her back, exploring her hungrily. And then, I _really was_ about to pull away — I'd nearly gotten through to my disobedient body — when she made the whole world go careening out of my grasp with one simple action.

A groan escaped my lips before I could stop myself and then I knew I was finished. All resistance died as I tasted her for the first – and God forbid the last – time and I thought surely I would burst into flame under the heat that built up in me as her lips, her hands continued their torturous caresses.

And as I replied in kind, pulling her violently against me, moving against those perfect lips, I knew that none of this had anything to do with the alcohol, there was no more denying it. And I was too lost in her to care.

\ / \ / \ / \ / \ /\ / \ / \ / \ / \ /\ / \ / \ / \ / \ /

"So," I grinned as we pulled out of the parking lot — thirty minutes after she had agreed to go out with me — on our way to the restaurant I was taking her to celebrate — our first date as an official couple. "Do I get to know your birthday now?"

"Uh," she laughed, "no. Nice try Mister."

"I promise I won't do anything too extravagant." I had a hard time keeping the laugh that was on the tip of my tongue from escaping — she had no idea that I already knew her birthday. Not only that, but that I had several plans I was already working on with Sango — indirectly of course. It was more than amusing to pester her about her birthday because of the secrets we were hiding from her.

"This? From the man who gave me a _dog_ for a _thank you_ gift?" she scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest and raising an eyebrow appraisingly, "Why do I doubt you even know how to be anything but extravagant?"

"You wound me," I turned to her with a heartbroken look. "You have such little faith in my abilities of control?"

"Yes," she giggled and I had to resist the urge to smile.

"What if I swore? Would that make a difference?"

"No," she laughed, shaking her head. "Because you and I, I believe, have a very different definition in mind when we think of 'over the top'."

"So what?" I shrugged, weaving through traffic, "I do it because I want to. Not because I have to — doesn't that make it all right?"

She laughed and I reached over to ruffle her hair. Batting at my hand she asked, "So where are we going anyway?"

"Changing the subject?" I laughed.

"Yes," she poked me in the side, "anything to get you to leave me alone!"

"Fine, fine," I flipped on the turn signal and flew around the corner, eliciting a squeak of surprise out of her lips, "have your friends settled on where they'll have the ceremony then?"

"Ah," she frowned thoughtfully, "yes, I believe they have. I think they're going to have it at the Ristorante Sabatini in Aoyama. Sango showed me the website the other day — looks gorgeous."

"Now," she turned to me with a sharp glance, "are you going to tell me where we're going?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," I smirked wickedly.

'' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' ''

I scanned yet another article that told the juicy details on their love life and I couldn't help but smile wolfishly. Taking the paper in my hands and folding it carefully I removed her picture, holding it between my fingers as I memorized every feature of her face, every curve of her body — she was mine but until then I would keep these pictures.

Every night, after lights out I put the newest picture on the wall beside my bed and thought about all the ways I would take her. How she would cry and beg until her voice died and her spirit broke. How I would relish every moment of it.

She would regret her defiance. And the dog would regret his part in my sentence. She would pay for the physical injuries she inflicted on my person and he would pay for the injuries inflicted on my reputation, my business. They would soon realize that they had only delayed the inevitable. I ran a finger over her face — that angelic face that filled my dreams, teased me with promises of pleasure. The face that I would destroy; the body I would ravage; the innocent heart I would defile.

"Only forty-three days left till my freedom begins and yours comes to an end Kagome. Enjoy it while you still can."

End Chapter

Well, uh, yup. That's it for now folks. Once again, please forgive me for my unbelievable tardiness. Also, please forgive me if this chapter sucked. I will try to do my best to get the next one out sooner and be back in the game by then. I think going back and reading everything will really help but that means I've got a lot of text to cover – over 300 pages so I thank you for your patience…

Um…if you didn't totally hate it…or even if you did… please feel free to review. I appreciate any feedback you can give me — although, please have mercy. (- -; )

Anyway, hope you all are doing well! I'm sorry I've been away for so long but I'm glad to be back and hope to get back into the swing of things soon. Things have been hectic with my mom's illness and school and everything lately. My creative juices and any free time I used to have kind of died…but hopefully things will get better here on out! ( '-' ) I've still got to study for my test to get into grad school but hopefully that won't take up ALL of my free time. Well, happy holidays — if this was a good chapter I'd say it was an early present to everyone but I don't feel like I claim that. Lol. Anyway, best wishes for all of you this season! Stay warm, stay safe! Much love, yours truly,

Bloodrain's tears

m( - - )m

Author's notes:

The name Calypso means: (commonly sea nymph but also) an orchid, one who is full of gladness and gaiety

Mainichi newspaper, or Mainichi Shinbun is a well-know daily newspaper in Japan.

Azuki frappuccino: the current new frappuccino flavor in Japan, Japanese sweet beans are used – very nice…since sweet beans aren't really like "beans" – they are very yummy and sweet and basically a dessert food. ( '-' )v

Ristorante Sabatini is a real restaurant in Aoyama, which is like a suburb of Tokyo — here's the website:

other questions, please feel free to drop a line! ( '-' )v


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters – I've simply brought them out to play. Please don't sick any lawyers on me, kthxbai! :D

Author's note: Um…I am (should go on for at least a solid page – eek!) sorry — so very, very sorry for the UNBELIEVABLY long delay. It was never my intention and I'm embarrassed how long it's taken me to finally get back to this. I'm pretty sure that — understandably — no one reads this anymore, but just in case I'd like to offer my most profuse and heartfelt apologies. I'm trying to get back to this finally, so that I can see the end of this story myself — I really enjoy writing it so even if no one's around to read it anymore, I'm gonna try to finish. Eek. I'll continue my apology after the chapter, but as a peace offering I'll leave it short up here so you don't have to wait another moment — if you followed this story in the beginning you've been waiting more than long enough. (-_-;)

Since this story is sooooo long and it's been so long since I updated here's a very brief re-cap to get you reoriented:

_Kagome and Sesshoumaru's feelings for each other have finally been acknowledged and in the last chapter, Sesshoumaru finally asked her out — after realizing he'd somehow forgotten to do that. (The paparazzi and tabloids have also come into play after the court case where Sesshoumaru helped Kagome have a fighting chance against Naraku. Kanna and Kagura have fled, fearing for their lives knowing Naraku would make good on his threats.)_

_Sango and Miroku are happily engaged and planning their wedding._

_Rin and Father Taisho are still as mischievous and interfering as always. Taisho sent Kikyo and Inuyasha to a romantic restaurant to work on a business merger, which led to an explosive confrontation between the two — ending in an unlikely lip-tango. _

_Naraku's counting the days till his release from prison and planning just how he's going to make Kagome pay._

Also, a reminder on the POV switch signals (curse and it's obnoxious failings concerning the usage of symbols!)

Kagome: 45768911111 (sadly i'm not being able to get any symbols stick with hers for some reason so i'm hoping NUMBERS will work? urk)

Sesshoumaru: \ / \ / \ / \ / \ /

Everyone else: '' '' '' '' '' '' '' ''

Hopefully this is not a horrible chapter — it's been so long since I've gotten to write creatively that I have to admit I have little confidence at the moment. Fingers crossed that with time I'll be able to get back up to par and give this story a satisfying finish. Eep... And without further ado, here it is: all 41 word doc pages of it!

Chapter 12: Revenge oh so sweet…

"You'll be paid for your work, of course," I promised, flashing a shark smile at the deceptively innocent looking young man who sat across from me in the mess hall.

"How much?" he asked, returning my predatory smirk. "You realize you're asking for me to put in a lot of time and preparation on this project of yours so; the amount you offer is going to have to make it worth my while."

"What's the sum you were thinking of Mr. Watanabe?" I murmured, watching him with calculating eyes.

"I'd say at least one million five hundred thousand yen up front for the initial set-up and execution." He paused thoughtfully, glancing up at the ceiling, "And another three million for delivering her to you after you're released." Dark brown eyes crinkling cheerfully he quipped, "Does that sound reasonable Mr. Hayashi?"

"Quite," I purred, extending a hand to shake on it, "we have ourselves a deal Mr. Watanabe."

"Pleasure," he grinned, white teeth gleaming in the harsh neon lights of the prison.

Only 40 more days until I got out of here and had the little temptress under my hands…

45768911111

I couldn't help the idiotic grin that split my face as I walked cheerfully down the sidewalk, an equally happy husky pulling the leash taunt as a bowstring while she eagerly sniffed at the pavement and the small areas of grass we passed. I had a boyfriend — a real, honest to goodness, _boyfriend_. I had never felt lonely or like I was missing something in my life due to my lack of romance, but, now that I had it? Well, I'd be lying if I said the thought of losing it didn't terrify me to the point of a panic attack. It had been a week since we'd started dating and I'd been moving through the days as if I was floating on clouds. Everyone noticed my happier-than-ever-before mood — which is saying something since I'm generally a bubbly, cheerful person on any given day — and so it was no surprise that I fell victim to no small amount of teasing and "told you so's." But despite all that my mood never went down — it was un-dampenable! Un-deflatable! I was high on life! I was —

Suddenly crashing into a very solid chest and falling back towards the ground at an alarming rate.

A strong, muscular arm snaked around my waist at the last second and pulled me away from the ground saving me from the painful smacking my skull would have received. Eyes snapping up in surprise I found a kind face, warm brown eyes lit with worry. "Are you alright," the man asked, deep voice smooth and gentle, instantly putting me at ease.

"Oh!" I breathed, suddenly very aware of the awkward position I was in, so close to this strange man, "Oh! Yes!" I scrambled out of his arms and he smiled, bending down to pick up the fallen bag of groceries. "I'm so sorry, I spaced out and I," I trailed off, frantically crouching down to help him pick up the contents that had fallen willy-nilly on the sidewalk. Ran watched us with a curious tilt to her head, pink tongue hanging out the side of her mouth.

"No problem, I'm just glad you're all right," he smiled again, and as his whole face lit up kindly I couldn't help but reply in kind.

Grinning, we stood up and he held out his hand, "I'm Genji."

"Kagome," I smiled, giving him a hand despite the foreignness of the gesture.

"It's lovely meeting you Kagome," he nodded, reaching for the wallet in his back pocket. "I just moved into the neighborhood," he continued, handing me a business card. I took it respectfully with both hands and quickly skimmed the contents. _Genji Watanabe, business consultant for Pentax Camera Company, Tokyo_. Seeing his address I looked up at him in surprise.

"You live here," I blurted, pointing a finger at the address on the card.

"Yes," he answered enthusiastically, "it's a nice building and they allow pets so I thought it'd be perfect. I just moved here from Oosaka."

"Oh!" I chirped happily, quickly switching into the Kansai dialect, "how are you liking Tokyo so far?"

"You aren't from here originally?" he asked instead, eyes lighting up even more with obvious delight.

"Nagoya," I grinned.

"Really? Well, I'm really enjoying it here," he cocked his head thoughtfully, "although it's a bit more…cold, shall we say? People are less—"

"Openly inviting and friendly," I supplied and he laughed ruefully.

"Exactly," he shrugged, "but other than that, I really can't complain. I haven't been here for very long so maybe I'll feel differently after a while."

I chuckled, "Well, hopefully you'll like it more."

"I'm beginning to think that I will," he looked at me suggestively and I couldn't help but blush awkwardly at the underlying compliment.

"Oh, well," I mumbled intelligently.

He smiled disarmingly, before hefting the bag in his hand, "It was nice meeting you, really. Maybe I'll see you around, sometime soon." With a friendly nod he went on his way and I looked down at Ran with a bemused smile.

"He seemed nice," I rubbed the back of her head as we continued our walk, completely oblivious to the pair of predatory eyes that had turned and watched me like a hawk as I moved in the opposite direction.

\ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ /

"Oh man, she is going to be _furious_," Sango squealed gleefully as she took in the sight of the small greenhouse I'd built behind the house in a secluded corner of the fenced-in backyard. The ground around it had been tilled, raked, and carefully covered in a thick layer of moist black dirt, ready and waiting to be crafted into a floral oasis. Moving forward with bounding steps, a mad glint in her eyes she cackled wickedly as she reached the door, eyes running hungrily over the tables full of orchids of every size, color, and shape imaginable.

"Yeah," she rubbed her hands together in delighted anticipation, "you sir, are a dead, dead dog!"

I sniffed, feigning offense, looking at the humble greenhouse and quickly retorted, "If I'm going down, you're coming with me — impending wedding or not!"

"Hey now, I told you," she waggled a finger at me patronizingly, "she _can't_ know that I helped you — however indirectly and cryptically. Nothing and _no one_ is going to keep me from waltzing down that aisle — alive and kicking."

I chuckled, following her as she moved inside, daintily sniffing the flowers. "Speaking of the wedding," I smiled, sniffing a lovely pink moth orchid, "have you two lovebirds picked a destination for your honeymoon?"

She laughed, "Can I just say, weddings are _stressful_?"

"Oh, believe me, I know."

"I mean, I am not a picky person, don't get me wrong. But even if you aren't picky, the number of decisions that you ultimately have to make is…" she scowled petulantly.

"Staggering?" I supplied helpfully.

A bark of laughter escaped her lips. "Exactly."

"So in other words, you haven't decided yet?"

"Well, I finally just ordered my dress and the bridesmaid's dress and we've reserved a place for the ceremony and the dinner. We're keeping it small because — the other thing I was blissfully ignorant about — weddings are expensive! Ridiculously so," she grumbled. "I mean it's going to cost us 157,000 to reserve the room and then another 15, 750 per person for the meal." She shuddered. "It's such a racket, what the wedding industry has going on, I swear."

"Criminal," I sympathized, as we walked out of the green house and back towards the side of the house where a range of plants for Kagome were set out.

"The wedding's important and all, but honestly, we care more about making sure that the honeymoon is spectacular. With the cost of everything else though, even when we try to keep it small, it's still enough that I don't know how we are going to have a really fancy honeymoon in the end," she continued, dark eyes stormy.

"I think I could help with that," I smiled, crossing my arms over my chest.

Her head snapped up, swinging to look at me with a deer-in-headlights expression, mouth open in surprise. Closing her jaw with an audible click, she shook her head adamantly, "Oh no you don't."

"My father currently owns the resort in Santorini that Kagome and I visited in September," I waved a hand dismissing her stubborn declaration. "If you both felt that it was an attractive setting for your honeymoon I'd be happy to arrange for you to have the honeymoon suite for as long as you wished. A week perhaps?"

Her mouth opened and closed, eyes bugged out like a startled pug as she stared at me in dumbfounded shock. "I," she finally managed to splutter, "I, I don't—"

"It's the least I could do," I cut her off with a careless shrug. "You've helped me with Kagome's birthday and you're both important to her, she'd like for you two to have the perfect wedding. And all that aside, I feel that I can call both you and Miroku friends. And as your friend I have every right to give you an appropriate present."

"Appropriate," she gawked, "would be a set of silverware or a cappuccino maker. Not a weeklong stay in a Honeymoon suite at a world class resort in Santorini, Greece!" She shook her head furiously, "I've seen pictures! I know how nice the place is! We couldn't possibly accept, even if you are our friend."

"If you don't like the area, then of course I'd be more than happy to—"

"No," she blurted, "it's beautiful and it would be perfect, but—"

"Well then, I insist," I smiled, pinning her with my best, 'I won't take no for an answer' eyes. Not surprisingly, since she was Kagome's best friend, she seemed to be immune to my normal intimidation tactics.

"No, and that's final, Sesshoumaru," she ground out, shooting me a look of long-suffering.

"Well then, don't blame me when Kagome somehow finds out that you were behind everything we have planned for her birthday," I shrugged nonchalantly, glancing at my sharp nails with a look of boredom.

"You wouldn't," she hissed, eyes narrowing to slits and I had to resist the urge to flinch. The bubbly woman could be intimidating when she wanted to be.

"How badly do you want to test your theory," I smiled wolfishly before striding away into the house to get started on dinner for Rin and I.

"Playing dirty," she shouted after me, adding a grumbled, "filthy mutt."

"I heard that!" I yelled back, fighting the smile that pulled at my lips.

"Good!" she snapped.

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"So," my Dad started casually, peeking a head around the door of his office after Kikyo left, "now you're avoiding her completely." It was a statement, not a question.

"Hardly," I scoffed indignantly. "Avoiding means you care in some backward way. I'm simply busy. If you hadn't noticed I've had to stay late every night this week working on business deals."

"Half of which were cases of your brother's that you _offered_ to help him take care of so he'd have more time to get things ready for Kagome's birthday," he countered, an eyebrow raised dubiously.

"It's not like I've ever sought the woman's company before," I added, shooting him a withering glare over the top of my computer.

"No," he smiled innocently, "but you never would have passed up the opportunity to ruffle her feathers before."

"Don't be delusional, Father," I rolled my eyes.

"Who said anything about being delusional," he huffed, coming to stand at my desk, leaning against it as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"You're the one that sent us to that French restaurant, you tell me," I shrugged, turning back to the document on my computer screen, hoping that he'd take the dismissal for what it was and leave well enough alone.

"I like to enjoy good food and wine over a merger, can you blame me," he waved a hand indifferently.

"Not at a restaurant touting the title, "most romantic new European style restaurant in downtown Tokyo," you don't," I snapped, rising to the bait despite myself.

"Oh, so you looked it up?" he grinned indulgently. "So it was romantic, was it?"

"It might have been, had the company been different," I lied through my teeth.

Father smirked, "I'm sure."

"If you're done pestering me, I'd like to finish this and get out of here before 10 o'clock for once. I have plans," I grumbled, fingers flying rapidly over the keyboard.

"You could do worse, you know," he cocked his head thoughtfully. "A smart, attractive woman like her with her quick wit and lean legs that go on for miles."

"If you like her so much," I snapped childishly, my frazzled brain unable to come up with a more mature retort, "why don't _you_ go after her?"

He sniffed, and looked down his nose at me, "I'm offended Inuyasha."

"Ya, well," I grumbled, finishing up the last paragraph on the report, saving it and selecting the shutdown button before I turned to glare at my father, "I have a date with a hot little number, so if you don't mind." I grabbed my suit jacket off my chair, slung it over my shoulder and marched past him as he continued to watch me with that infuriating all-knowing smirk of his. _If only I had acid like Sesshoumaru and could temporarily melt that smug look off his face_, I thought grumpily, _although I'd never let Sesshoumaru know that I occasionally fall prey to acid-envy_.

"Oh?" he asked, feigning interest.

"Ya, a hot cabaret dancer from a troupe that performs in Shibuya. We're going out for drinks." I strode out the door before he could respond, but I didn't miss what he mumbled as I reached the elevators.

"Have fun trying to distract yourself, then, son." The sound of shattering plastic and glass reached my ears and when I turned furious gold eyes towards the sound I found my blood staining the now twice-destroyed elevator button.

"Dammit!"

'' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' ''

She was so friendly and beautifully naïve. _That will be her downfall,_ I thought with a malicious smile as I watched her helping a neighbor lady carry up a heavy load of groceries. Turning away from the window I set down the binoculars and jotted down a few additional notes about the target. Since the initial meeting, I'd managed to "accidentally" meet her three more times. Each time we chatted amiably and I carefully set the foundations for trust, cementing every brick with disarming charm and warmth. My ability as a conman to gain my targets' trust and get them to let down their guard was exceptional. I'd been blessed with a warm face, expressive eyes, and a boyish smile that lent itself to the role of "the nice guy."

The more I'd talked with her a part of myself — an infinitesimal part — wanted to feel bad for preying on her. I viciously crushed those useless, soft feelings — leftover remnants from a time when I'd simply been an innocent boy with a mother and father who loved him. Before they'd been brutally murdered right in front of me; before I'd been thrown into the foster system and had to fight tooth and nail to get anything in life; before I'd suffered things too ugly to remember: I'd been a nice guy. For real. But that boy had died a long time ago. Now Genji Watanabe was nothing but a cold, heartless monster that preyed on people using their idiotic belief that bad people couldn't hide behind kind eyes and a boyish smile.

_Good thing for me they couldn't be more wrong_, I chuckled darkly as I ran my eyes over the wall above my desk, taking in the web of photos and notes and information pertaining to the target. Kagome Higurashi was so innocent I couldn't help but lick my lips in anticipation of the exact moment I'd strip the blinders from her eyes and smash her idealistic view of the world into a million pieces.

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"So," he purred, brushing fingers up my jaw like a butterfly's caress before running them through my hair, his lips coming torturously close to the shell of my ear. I shivered as his claws ran lightly over my scalp and his hot breath fanned across the sensitive skin of my exposed neck, causing a pool of heat to form in my stomach as my breath caught in my throat. My lips parted in anticipation as he continued, his other hand igniting a trail of fire as it ran down my side until it came to rest low on my hip. "This Friday, I was thinking," he brushed his full lips over the pulse point on my neck, eliciting a moan from my lips as the hand in my hair moved down my back with painful slowness, "dinner at my house and then salsa dancing."

_I hope he doesn't honestly expect me to carry on a conversation while he's doing __**that**_, I thought dreamily, too blissfully drugged to be capable of speaking intelligently.

Lips that I'd become intimately familiar with continued their sinful ministrations as he trailed kisses up the column of my neck and up my jaw until reaching my ear lobe, which he grabbed gently in his sharp teeth, nibbling hungrily. My eyes rolled back in my head and I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the heat that ignited my skin down to my very bones. Hands moving of their own accord — _I swear_ — scrambled at the waist of his form fitting business pants, tugging at his shirt, demanding the removal of it's obstruction. _It's in the way_, I thought simply, as I yanked at it, gaining victorious contact with his feverish skin, fingers eagerly roaming over the muscled planes of his abdomen with an animalistic determination.

A pleasant growl rumbled out of his chest and he quickly claimed my lips with his own, taking my bottom lip in his teeth as he begged for entrance — which was quickly granted. After a long, heated kiss that left us both panting, our hands moving frantically over each other, fingers tangled in silken hair, he gasped, "How does that sound?"

"Ya," I replied with Einstein-like brilliance.

"Good," he murmured against my lips before he returned to the job at hand: driving me to utter distraction.

"_It's time to be a big girl now, and big girls don't cry, don't cry, don't cry_," Fergie rudely interrupted us as Sesshoumaru's cell phone vibrated across the coffee table in a Corybantic manner.

"Wha—" I mumbled stupidly, as we broke our kiss to stare at the offending piece of technology.

"Inuyasha," he stated with a disinterested shrug, quickly pushing me back into the plushy cushions of the couch until I was on my back. I quickly forget that I wanted to laugh at his choice of personalized ringtone for his brother, simply staring up at him with a no-doubt googly eyed expression. _I can't __**help**__ it_, I thought defensively, _if __**you**__ were in my shoes I can guarantee you'd be no better. I'd like to see you judge me then_, I growled at the snide little voice in my brain that mocked my lack of composure concerning a certain youkai. Of course, the ludicrousness that I was arguing with _myself_ didn't fail to escape me before Sesshoumaru placed his hands on either side of my shoulders. Golden eyes swirling with unbridled heat, hair beautifully mussed by my questing fingers, full lips pulled into a seductive smirk he was the epitome of any girl's bedroom fantasy — and he was still fully clothed. A small part of my brain wondered if I'd faint from the fire that ignited in my stomach as he allowed his perfectly chiseled body to mold itself against mine. _Surely this has got to be illegal_, I thought drunkenly, _because something this sinfully delicious can't be good for you._

All ability to form coherent thought — however idiotic and rambling it may have been up to that point — abandoned me as his lips took over mine with a hunger that was impossible to ignore. Fireworks exploded behind my closed eyes and my heart fluttered violently in my ribcage while I responded with a yearning that rivaled his own.

Strong hands gripping my hips, he purred as he drew a trail of burning kisses along my collarbone, nipping playfully at the soft skin there before his left hand began to explore under my shirt, caressing the bare skin of my stomach. I gasped at the sensations his touches inspired and couldn't help but dig my nails into his back as I arched my own, inviting him to continue his exploration. He happily obliged and I wondered distantly if I was going to lose my mind when the sound of a gruff voice and guitars killed the moment, "When to descend to amend for a friend, all the channels that have broken down. Now you bring it up, now I'm gonna ring it up—"

Eyebrows pulled together in a thunderous frown Sesshoumaru let out a sigh of long-suffering before deftly jabbing the ignore button on the phone.

"Should you get that," I asked, the absence of his lips giving me a brief moment of semi-clarity.

"It's my father," he grumbled, before turning back to me with a suggestive smirk, "he can wait."

"But," I started, but he stopped my protest by placing his index finger on my lips, flashing a toothy smile and I couldn't help the shiver that ran unbidden up my spine in anticipation. In that moment he looked so like a wolf and I couldn't help but feel like Little Red Riding Hood about to be eaten — except for the fact that I was a completely willing victim.

"No 'but's," he purred, "I'm enjoying a quiet evening with my sexy," he gently kissed the shell of my ear, nibbling on it as he moved down to my earlobe, "stunning," kissed the side of my neck, canines scraping the fire-hot skin, "beautiful," and kneaded his hand on my hip, making me arch my back in a silent request, "girlfriend." He looked up at me, pinning me with a heated stare and I couldn't help but blush at what I saw in his eyes, "I refuse to be disturbed."

My heart fluttered giddily in my chest and I couldn't help but be struck — for what seemed like the millionth time — by how surreal the situation was. Sesshoumaru Taisho was my boyfriend, officially, and had been for over two weeks but I still couldn't get over how bizarre my life had become. I mean, how often do normal, insignificant girls like myself end up with a celebrity that also has an incredible personality: an honest-to-goodness heart of gold? I still had moments like this, when he was expressing without words how much he liked me, where I wondered if I was lying in a hospital bed in a coma, living out some subconscious fantasy that I'd developed for the man after seeing one too many magazines with him on the cover. I quickly pinched myself, to make sure I really was awake.

Chris Brown suddenly shattered the near silence, refusing to be ignored as he crowed, "_She want that lovey dovey, that kiss-kiss, kiss-kiss. In her mind she fantasize bout getting' with me!" _

_Fitting_, I snorted as Sesshoumaru's hand shot out and grabbed the offensive, gyrating contraption, nearly smashing it as his hand twitched spastically.

"Who's it?" I asked, trying not to laugh as Chris continued to croon loudly. _Not a ringtone I'd have guessed was on his phone_, I thought with a mental guffaw as I ran a hand through my mussed hair.

"Rin," he frowned, quickly flipping the phone open. I couldn't help the smile that tugged at my lips. He really was a great dad.

\ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ /

I went to Kagome's apartment on Tuesday night to watch a movie with the plan of inviting her over for dinner and dancing on Friday night — the night we were throwing the surprise birthday party. I knew her birthday was tomorrow, but since I wasn't _supposed_ to know that, it might have seemed suspicious if I'd insisted on a romantic date on a Wednesday night. Besides, Sango had informed me that she and Miroku were having a celebratory dinner/movie marathon with her on her actual birthday. Of course, that fit perfectly into our plan, increasing the element of surprise. The little angel wouldn't see it coming until it was too late.

By the time the credits started rolling on the sappy romantic comedy our hands had found their way into each other's hair, as our lips started getting reacquainted with gentle affection. It only took a few moments for our sweet kisses to turn more demanding as we began to fight for dominance, our bodies melding together in blissful perfection. My skin burning with arousal I quickly lost any semblance of control or restraint and before long we were both familiarizing ourselves with the other's body with a boldness we'd never had before.

_I'm no better than a hormonal teenager around this woman_, I thought begrudgingly as a moan escaped my lips when her blunt fingernails dug into the skin of my back, causing the heat pooled in my gut to spread at an alarming speed. When she'd arched her back, begging me not to stop my adoration of her perfect body, I'd happily obliged. I was on a mission: thoroughly worshipping the goddess underneath me. _And nothing is going to keep me from doing so_.

When Inuyasha had called it had been an irritating interruption. When my father had called I'd been tempted to smash my phone to bits, unbelievably perturbed at being torn away from my mission yet again. But when Rin's ringtone sounded I'd been forced to sit up and ignore the petulant whining in my head at the sudden, unwilling loss of contact. Despite myself, I couldn't help the way my hand clenched in immature retaliation at the interruption as I opened the phone to answer her call.

"Yes dear," I asked, wincing at how huskily my voice came out.

"A little busy, huh, big brother?" Inuyasha's voice shook with laughter on the other end of the line.

"You must have a death wish," I intoned dully, deceptively calm.

"Hardly, but Dad and I were wondering," he started with a laugh, but I snapped the phone shut with a loud _click_. Setting it on the table I stared at it for a breath before, with speed too fast for her human eyes to follow, I melted the interfering contraption.

_Take that_, I thought, _I'd like to see you interrupt me now_.

Kagome's eyes grew as big as saucers as she pushed herself up on her elbows, squeaking incredulously, "Oh my go-! Sesshoumaru Taisho, you did _not_ just _melt_ your cell phone!"

"Hn," I smirked at the bubbling mass of metal and acid as it ate a hole in the tabletop. "It seems I did."

"My coffee table!" she yelped.

"I'll buy you another one," I murmured apologetically, gently pushing her back down onto the couch.

"But you _melted_ it," she protested, staring at the dead device, smoke curling up into the air as it sizzled quietly.

"It was irritating me," I chuckled huskily, taking her protruding bottom lip in my teeth and sucking slowly, wringing a moan of pleasure out her perfect mouth. "It had to be dealt with."

Fingers trailing up her side I proceeded to show her exactly why the confounded contraption had needed to meet its untimely end as a pile of sludge. My male ego was undeniably pleased as she quickly saw reason and surrendered herself to my attentions.

"_I like where we are, when we drive in your car. I like where we are…Here!_"

I twitched, pausing with my lips a hairsbreadth away from the bare skin of her dainty shoulder.

"_Cause our lips can touch, and our cheeks can brush — our lips can touch…here!_"

Glaring daggers I turned my eyes on the innocuous little pink cell phone that sat on the coffee table.

"_Well you are the one, the one that lies close to me, whispers, 'Hello, I've missed you quite terribly.'_"

Frowning I lifted my hand off her hip and was about to attack when, with a concerned yelp, Kagome's hand shot out with superhuman speed I wouldn't have believed possible and snatched the phone off the table, cradling it to her chest as she growled, "Oh no you don't, Mr. Acid-Happy. You are _not_ melting Lulu."

'' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' ''

"Oops," I blinked owlishly at the phone after the dial tone sounded loud in my ears.

"Uncle Inuyasha," Rin asked, a frown puckering her little forehead, "why do you have my cell phone?"

"Uh, I was trying to get a hold of your dad," I mumbled, quickly tossing it to her.

"With _my_ phone," she questioned doubtfully. "'Cause that makes sense."

"It does if he won't pick up for your grandpa and I," I retorted defensively.

"Aren't he and Kagome watching a movie," she tilted her head thoughtfully and I could just see the gears turning.

"Ya," I lied and the scent of it hung between us.

She blinked at me for a moment before the pieces clicked into place and a peal of laughter echoed through the house. "Oh man," she gasped, holding her sides as she continued to laugh, "he is going to **kill** you!"

I grimaced, "Dad and I really wanted to ask him about Friday."

"Ya, well, you should have just waited till he got home," she snorted, stuffing the phone into her pocket.

"I couldn't help it!" I grumbled. "I'm his little brother — it's like, my **job** to push his buttons and what better way to do that than to interrupt them when they are ki—" I coughed, blushing slightly as I quickly corrected myself, "watching a movie?"

"Uh-huh," she smirked knowingly, "you better call Ayame and tell her to order another phone for tomorrow."

"Ya, you're probably right," I admitted ruefully.

"And Uncle Inuyasha," she smiled sweetly over her shoulder as she walked into the hallway, "you'd better watch your back. I have a feeling that someone's going to be in a fine temper after having his 'movie'," she moved her fingers in little air quotes, "interrupted repeatedly."

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Wednesday morning I woke up and smiled despite the fact that it was morning. Why, you ask? Because, "It's my birthday! It's my birthday!" I sang as I bounced around my apartment, nearly scaring Ran with my abnormal morning cheer. "It's Halloween, Ran!" I crowed, picking the big puppy up in my arms and twirling around the kitchen happily. "I get to wear a _costume_ to _work_, I get to be in a Haunted House, _and_ I get to eat dinner and watch movies with my two best friends! Today is going to be **awesome**!" I grinned like an idiot as I set her down, quickly skipping to the fridge and taking out a container of yogurt. "Nothing can ruin my mood!" I declared loudly, plunging my spoon into the strawberry yogurt with wild abandon as I quickly jammed my hand into the mailbox and pulled out the large stack of envelopes and flyers.

I sat down on the couch and quickly sorted the mail, throwing all the junk mail on the coffee table. In the end I only had one actual piece of mail-mail. There was no return address. "Huh," I muttered, looking at it curiously before ripping it open. Opening it I felt the blood in my veins turn to ice and my heart stuttered painfully in my chest.

_I spoke too soon,_ I finally thought after sitting in horrified silence for several painful minutes. _Something __**can**__ ruin my mood._

Thirty minutes later I found myself going through the motions, slipping on my shoes, locking the door and heading briskly down the stairs, but I was numb — inside and out. Completely shell-shocked I was walking through the parking lot when I spotted Genji. Waving, he flashed a bright smile and met me part way. "Good morning, Kagome."

"Hi," I tried to smile, but failed miserably, the fear and anxiety brought on by the letter I'd just opened bubbling to the surface despite my best efforts.

"Are you alright," he asked, concern written clearly on his face.

"Ya," I lied, hand clenching around the letter that I'd stuffed into my large purse. "Just got an unpleasant letter is all."

"I'm sorry to hear that," he murmured sympathetically, briefly touching my shoulder in a comforting gesture.

"It's ok," I forced myself to let go of the tension that had settled in my shoulders. "I refuse to let this ruin my day — it's my birthday and I'm going to enjoy it," I finished with a defiant tilt of my chin.

"Happy Birthday," he cheered enthusiastically. "Got any fun plans?"

"Cake and a movie marathon with my two best friends," I smiled — a real smile — and lifted my shoulders in a quick shrug. "Just a simple celebration."

"Well good," he smiled warmly, eyes crinkling, "don't let that letter get you down. You have yourself a wonderful birthday!"

"Thank you," I laughed, "I will!" and with a wave we both went our separate ways. The workday went by in a blur as the children and I celebrated my favorite American holiday — Halloween! — with the rest of the school. I'd been pleasantly surprised a few weeks earlier when I'd found out that the Craisin actually allowed us to take part of the afternoon every Halloween to let the kids participate in a haunted house, and several game stations. I'd been put on the Haunted House crew and threw myself into the part of the creepy witch with gusto, managing for a brief time to completely forget about the letter. At least until I got home and had to put my hands in my purse to find my keys and my fingers brushed against the crumpled ball of paper.

Pulling it out with shaking hands I quickly opened my door and went inside, placing it on the table where I stared at it for the next ten minutes in complete silence. Ran whimpered plaintively in my lap, able to sense that something had upset me.

Who knew a simple little plain white envelope and a single piece of paper could cause me to go through so many upsetting emotions?

I was just moving my hand to pick it up and read it a second time — yes, apparently I am a masochist — when the sweet voice of Hellogoodbye belted out of my phone somewhere deep in my purse, saving me from myself. With a snort I dug through the messy bag, fingers scrambling to close around the small machine.

"Sango," I breathed cheerfully as I put the phone to my ear, "sorry my phone was in my bag."

"Oooh," she chortled, "well that explains the wait. We still good to come over at 6 then?"

"Yes ma'am," I smiled. "I picked up the movies on my way back from work."

"What'd you get?" she chirped happily and the sound of a door slamming shut reached my ears.

"Ratatouille, Superbad, and a brand new Bollywood film called Jab We Met," I answered, holding the movie in question in hand, looking curiously at the colorful, alien clothes the characters wore.

"Niiice," she chuckled, "I love those Indian movies; they're so over the top sometimes —it's great!"

"Ya, plus they are super cute and I _love_ the dancing," I smiled, putting the box back down and frowning as I saw the letter again.

"I have something to show you when you get here," I said quietly, changing the subject.

"Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to like this," she asked, voice immediately wary.

"He, he," I laughed weakly, "'cause you _won't_."

"Shit."

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Raging.

Furious.

Livid.

Incensed.

Apoplectic.

Words couldn't even begin to express how upset we were when we read the letter from the spawn of Hell.

_My dear, sweet Kagome,_

_Happy 22__nd__ birthday! I'm so sorry that I'm not able to be there and celebrate it with you in person, but I promise that when I return I'll be sure to make it up to you with a real celebration. I look forward to our reunion and anticipate the time where I'll finally be able to show you just what you've been missing. Don't miss me too much!_

_Your most loyal admirer_

It wasn't signed — he was too smart for that — but it didn't need to have a signature for us to know whom the author of that disturbing filth masquerading as a letter was.

What I couldn't figure out was how he'd managed to get a letter to her. With the charges, his sentence, and the restraining order I was pretty sure that he shouldn't have been able to send her any letters. Surely the people who worked at the prison checked the letters.

After she'd shown us, her hands shaking ever-so-slightly as she handed it to me to read, the quiet had been shattered by a long string of creative expletives and a great deal of shouting. Eventually we'd thrown the offensive letter in a crowded drawer in her desk, pulled out the cartons of ice cream we'd brought and dug in with enthusiastic abandon as we watched Ratatouille, throwing ourselves wholeheartedly into the activity in a desperate attempt to salvage and enjoy the rest of the evening.

By the time we started Superbad our moods had lightened considerably and we were able to eat the actual dinner we'd purchased. Jab We Met had us rolling with laughter, tears streaming down our faces and I'm happy to say that in the end, Naraku didn't manage to ruin her birthday like he'd no doubt wanted to.

'' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' ''

"Sagai-san," Sesshoumaru's rich voice broke the peaceful quiet of my office, pulling me from less-than-peaceful thoughts. Memories of a certain incident continued to haunt me relentlessly despite the time that had passed, or the fervor with which I threw myself into my work, obsessively working morning till night. At the end of the day I was so exhausted I could barely keep my eyes open long enough to make it out the door and back home.

"Mr. Taisho," I acknowledged him with the slightest upturning of lips. "What can I do for you?"

"Tomorrow I'm throwing a surprise birthday party for your cousin," he smiled and I didn't miss the adoring light that flashed in his eyes at the mention of Kagome. "I was wondering if you'd like to come?"

"What time?"

"She'll be coming over for dinner around 8, so everybody else is arriving around 7:45."

Quickly calculating what work needed to be done between now and then I knew that time wouldn't be an issue. I'd been working so much that I was not only caught up on my cases, but was actually getting ahead of myself a bit. With a small smile I looked back up at him and said, "I'll be there. It'll be nice to spend some time with my cousin."

"All right, no bailing at the last minute then," he flashed another brilliant smile.

"Of course," I almost laughed at the absurd choice of wording. "It's a promise."

I should have known better.

Devious Taishos.

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"Seriously," I laughed as we pulled up to his house for dinner on Friday night. "It was one of the most disturbing experiences of my _life_!"

"I can't believe the medicine they gave you made you hallucinate," he chuckled. "What'd you see?"

"Oh man, you really _don't_ wanna know," I gasped, waving my hand in front of my face as I tried to catch my breath.

"That bad?"

"_That_ bad," I nodded.

"Come on," he wheedled, "I doubt you can say anything to creep me out. I've seen a lot of disturbing things in my life."

"You asked for it," I smirked, finally in control of myself, as I got ready to elaborate. "I was doing my teaching practicum at a high school in Chiba at the time you see, and I had a lot of really awful students in the class who were horribly unresponsive and really rude all the time. So one night when I was on the medicine for sinus infection, I kept tossing and turning and having these awful waking dreams. At one point during the night I _saw_ my students surrounding my little twin bed, sitting cross-legged on the floor while they stared at me and said _nothing_. I was teaching them from the bed, but they wouldn't talk. They just kept staring at me and—"

Sesshoumaru held up a hand, stopping me mid-sentence, "Ok," he shook his head, eyes wide, "I stand corrected. That's just…creepy."

"See," I cried, chest puffing up, vindicated, "I _told_ you!"

"I'll never doubt you again," he intoned solemnly and I punched him lightly in the shoulder with a happy laugh.

"Shame, shame the non-believer," I warbled gleefully.

"A little hyper are we," he teased, raising a smug eyebrow.

"Maybe," I answered in singsong.

He simply chuckled and I quipped smartly, "And why wouldn't I be? I'm going to have dinner with my dangerously handsome man _and_ go salsa dancing with him afterwards — I think that sounds like more than enough reason to be hyper, don't you?"

He smirked, "Dangerously handsome?"

"Wha—" I started defensively but suddenly found myself silenced by my favorite 'silencing method' of his. When we finally pulled apart, chests heaving as we pulled air into our starving lungs, he caressed my cheek tenderly, capturing my eyes with his heated ones.

"Let's say we go ahead and go inside then, my little Siren?" he purred huskily.

"In a minute, Mr. Seductive," I murmured, butting my nose against his before claiming his lips with an aggressive kiss. A growl bubbled out of his chest, reverberating between us as he buried his hand in the hair at the nape of my neck, pulling me impossibly closer.

_Heaven — I'm in heaven…Mmm…_

'' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' ''

"Oh! Oh!" I cried excitedly as I heard the car turn into the long driveway, "They're here, they're here! Everybody go hide!"

Sango and Miroku scrambled behind the kitchen island. Sagai-san and Inuyasha — who had both been acting really _weird_ and avoiding all eye contact since she'd arrived 15 minutes earlier — both moved to go behind the couch but upon seeing each other froze, staring in awkward silence. The sudden bloom of sexual tension and uncomfortable awkwardness that developed as they looked at each other would have been obvious even without my superior sense of smell.

_What the_, I thought in utter confusion before, with a determined cough, my Uncle turned and headed to hide behind another section of the kitchen counter. Kikyo quickly scuttled behind the couch and I moved to sit beside her as we began our wait.

We heard the engine shut off and we all waited with bated breath for them to come through the front door.

And waited.

And waited.

"Ok seriously," Sango groused with exasperation, standing up behind the island, hands on her hips, eyebrows twitching in annoyance. "Kags never gets to tease me again about being late to pick her up because we got distracted and started ki—"

"I am so hungry," Kagome's cheerful voice said from the other side of the door and Miroku pulled Sango down with a frantic hiss. I clamped a hand over my mouth, willing myself not to laugh at their antics as the doorknob turned and my father and Kagome _finally_ came inside.

"Well, I came home early and made all of the food this afternoon so we only need to heat it up and it'll be ready to go," my dad was saying as he set his keys on the little stand near the door.

Removing her high heels Kagome asked playfully, "So what's for dinner then, sexy?"

"Uh," my dad replied intelligently and I could just imagine the faint blush staining his cheeks.

"Surprise!" Sango yelled, quickly saving her friend from embarrassing herself further. The rest of us followed suit and started singing 'Happy Birthday' at the top of our lungs.

Kagome stood in the middle of the entryway; holding one high heel while she stared at us, jaw agape, eyes wide with shock and embarrassment as a single eyebrow twitched spastically. She quickly recovered though and turned, shaking an accusatory finger at my father, "Sesshoumaru, you sneaky, underhanded—"

He quickly snaked an arm around her waist, pulled her to him and clamped a hand over her mouth, grinning nervously at her, "Happy birthday, Kagome."

"Mmmhmm gmumphrammmah!" she mumbled unintelligibly, eyes narrowed dangerously as she squirmed against him. Sango burst out laughing, but quickly found herself the new target of Kagome's furious scowl and jumped behind Miroku with a quiet, "Eep!"

"Kagome," I cried cheerfully, hoping to diffuse the situation, "Happy birthday!"

Blue eyes snapping with indignant anger turned to look at me and quickly softened. "Mmank myuu," she mumbled. "Mmummphamu," she grumbled, glaring petulantly at my father, who quickly removed his hand with an apologetic frown.

"You, mister," she glowered, "are a dead dog."

She poked him roughly in the chest and opened her mouth to say something else when, using his abnormally fast reflexes, pulled her close and smothered the words on her lips with a kiss. Sagai-san gasped in surprise, Sango, 'aaawed', Miroku and Uncle Inuyasha snorted lecherously, and I simply smirked as Kagome quickly grew limp in my dad's arms, her ire suddenly forgotten.

'' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' ''

"Oh wow," Kagome gushed happily through a mouthful of strawberry chiffon cake, quickly digging her fork into the pile of pink fluffiness for another impressively large bite. "What _is _this?" she groaned, eyes rolling back in her head. Kagome was nothing if not an expressive eater.

Sango laughed from beside me and I turned to glance at her. Eyes shining merrily, dimples showing in her cheeks as a wide smile split her face — she was breathtaking as always. I couldn't help the giddy bubble of euphoria that rose in my chest and I quietly reached under the table, taking her hand in mine. She turned to glance at me, eyes questioning, and I was pleased to hear the breath catch in her throat. It was nice to know that I had an equally strong affect over her.

"It's strawberry chiffon," Rin chirped, eyes dancing at Kagome's ecstatic expressions. "Shredded angel food cake mixed with chopped strawberries, whip cream, and strawberry Jell-O. After you mix it all up you put it in the fridge so the Jell-O can solidify and then viola! You have a little taste of heaven!"

"Agreed," Kagome laughed, running a finger over her plate, smirking impishly at her bad manners as she claimed the last little bit of whip cream. "Sesshoumaru," she flashed him a blinding smile and I smirked as his eyes turned warm, betraying his feelings for my friend, "you are my _hero_."

He snorted, shaking his head, "So does this mean I'm not a dead man walking anymore?"

"Hmm," she looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully, pausing for a long beat before she grinned brightly, "yes!"

"Good," he laughed, "since that's been cleared up and I'm back in your good graces maybe you'd like to see your presents now?"

"Ok," she frowned, "on second thought, can I take that back?"

"No."

"Change my mind?"

"No."

"Can youkai be hypnotized?"

"Why?"

"So I can make you forget I ever said I wasn't going to kill you anymore," she gave him a dull look that said, 'Duh!'

"Ah."

"Well, can you?"

"Can I what?"

"Be hypnotized."

"No."

"Curse it!"

As Kagome followed Sesshoumaru outside and saw her presents it was obvious the girl was fighting valiantly to stay righteously angry — she felt _awkward_ when she was the recipient of expensive gifts and always felt the need to reciprocate — but bless her, she had such a soft-spot for flowers that her delight over the gifts won out…in about 10 seconds flat.

Following after her as she gushed, and bounced about like a hyperactive squirrel on a case of Redbull, "Oh! Hostas! And toad-lilies!" I couldn't help but chuckle. She really was hopeless sometimes, but I was glad that she was getting the happy day she deserved for her birthday. I nearly growled as I remembered the letter from the scum bucket, but a honey-sweet voice interrupted me from my dark thoughts. Sango placed her hand in mine with a tentative smile. "So," she started hesitantly, "I was thinking about the honeymoon…"

She left the sentence dangling and I arched an eyebrow in question. "Well," she continued quickly, looking more and more uncertain with each word, "Sesshoumaru offered to put us up in a resort Honeymoon suite for a week — as a wedding gift."

My eyes bugged out of my head as my jaw simultaneously dropped and said, 'Hello!' to the ground. "That's, that's too much," I finally managed to blurt in horror.

"Taisho & Sons owns the resort," she added.

"Still," I shook my head stubbornly, "that's too much." So I was repeating myself. _Can you blame me though? I mean really, I was in shock. Besides, _I thought indignantly, _you know what they say: if it ain't broke don't fix it!_

"But it's really a lovely place," she turned pleading puppy dog eyes on me and I realized that she was just itching for an excuse to accept the gift. "I looked at pictures the other day and it's incredibly romantic."

"Yes, but—" I blustered.

"And it would mean we could actually afford to have the honeymoon we've been dreaming of," she continued, hands clutching mine as her excitement over the idea became more obvious.

"Well, I—" I tried to stand firm, but I knew the inevitable cave-in was coming. My desire to please my fiancé was, as always, an overwhelming force.

"And," she murmured seductively — rapidly changing tactics, going from adorable to tantalizing in the blink of an eye — standing on her tip-toes as she brought her lips to my ear, "imagine what we could do — in a massive suite all by ourselves — for an entire week."

I shuddered despite myself, my brain short-circuiting as it was flooded with lurid fantasies of just how I'd like to spend a week alone with my temptress. I suddenly had to resist the urge to show her just what I imagined we could do — right there. In Sesshoumaru's backyard. In front of everybody. Of course — that would have been horribly inappropriate, but that's how easily she got to me. Just a few suggestive words whispered in my ear and I was feverish with desire.

"Did I mention the Jacuzzi and the white sand beaches?" she purred.

Wrapping an arm around her narrow waist I growled as I brought my lips down on hers hungrily. After a long moment, we broke apart, breathing heavily and I growled, "Deal."

"Good," she smiled victoriously.

"Mm," I said intelligently, wanting to kiss her senseless one more time. _I don't care if there's an audience,_ I thought stubbornly, _one little kiss won't bother them, surely._

"Did I mention it's in Santorini?" she murmured, big brown eyes staring up at me — the picture of innocence.

"No!" I hissed, my lecherous fantasies coming to a screeching halt so fast that I got whiplash.

"Oops, well," she giggled furtively, finishing in cheerful sing-song, "a deal's a deal."

"You conniving little fox!" I grumbled, running a hand through her long black hair.

"You like it," she smirked, wrapping her arms around my neck and pulling me down for a heated kiss.

"Lord knows why," I muttered after we broke apart and quickly dodged the playful slap aimed at my face.

45768911111

"Best birthday _ever_," I gasped, as Sesshoumaru dipped me with a flourish, his muscular arm holding my weight as he beamed at me, warm gold eyes dancing.

"Seriously," I smiled, as he pulled me up and spun me quickly around the dance floor, following the pulsing beat of the fast Latin piece with practiced ease. "I mean, I knew you could dance but," I laughed as I twirled away from him, the skirt of my fire engine red halter dress flaring out to reveal _all_ of my long legs for a brief moment. _Yay for booty shorts_, I thought giddily, not for the first time. "I didn't know you were this good at salsa and the cha-cha and—"

"I've had a long time to practice," he smirked, causing another bout of giggles to bubble up out of my chest.

"I bet you have," I retorted.

He grinned, pulling me to him with a speed that left me gasping as a slower, sensual song started. Eyeing me with cocky confidence it was obvious he knew just how much of an affect he had over me.

"Dinosaur," I quickly added, sticking my tongue out at him. _Can't let his ego get too big now can we? Even if I have to stop being a lady to do it!_ I thought with a derisive laugh. A snide voice had to ruin the moment though, adding snarkily, _Who are you kidding? When have __**you**__ ever been a __**lady**__?_

_Oh, shut up!_

_Make me._

_Maybe I wi—Oh! Why, __**hello**_! Warm, sensual lips caressed the shell of my ear, hot breath teasing the hair at the back of neck, forcing it to stand at attention in delicious anticipation. "This _dinosaur's_ had a lot of time to get good at a _lot_ of things," he chuckled, nipping my ear playfully and a shiver ran unbidden up my spine, causing me to shudder eagerly.

_Oh my go—_ Any ability to form coherent thoughts, move, or just _breath_ — was suddenly gone as my brain went up in a large poof of smoke. How, you ask? Two words: spontaneous combustion.

Struggling to pump air through my now leaderless lungs I impressed myself by being able to form words — barely, "Is there anything you _can't_ do?"

"Hm," he purred, kissing my neck where my pulse jumped erratically, "yes."

"Like what," I asked, finding it hard to believe that the Moon God himself wasn't good at something.

"Well for one," he murmured, cupping my cheek in one of his strong hands, "I don't seem to be able to keep my hands off you."

Butterfly wings beat with thunderous joy against the walls of my stomach as he continued, "And I can't stop wanting to kiss you." To illustrate his point he claimed my lips with his in a sweet, slow kiss that conveyed pure adoration. "I can't stop thinking about you — no matter the time or place you always manage to find your way into my thoughts."

His lips curled up into a rueful smile, gold eyes capturing mine with an intense gaze, "So, as you can see, there are a lot of things I can't do Kagome."

'' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' ''

I hadn't had anything to drink. Unlike some people I prefer to dance sober, perfectly confident without any "liquid courage." Latin dancing happened to be one of my favorites and I planned on enjoying the company of a whirlwind of dance partners for the evening.

So the fact that I hadn't let a drop of alcohol pass my lips tonight had nothing to do with the tall, slender woman who looked like a pin-up in a black, off the shoulder, dress that hugged all her curves and exposed her flawless back for all to see — from her shoulders all the way down to the area just above her rear.

_And what a perfect as—_

The sound of breaking glass reached my ears. Pinching the bridge of my nose I apologized to the bartender for the glass I'd just shattered when I clenched my hand unconsciously. Eyes wide as I pulled bloody slivers out of flesh that quickly re-knit itself he waved away my apology.

I wasn't avoiding alcohol because she was there, really. That would mean I didn't trust myself around her under the influence.

Ok, fine, so I didn't trust myself around her if there was any alcohol in my system. I mean, the large amount of alcohol that I'd consumed on the afternoon of the _incident_ was the _only_ plausible reason for the temporary insanity that had made me not only silence her with kiss, but had also inspired me to _continue_ kissing a woman that I'd _never_ be attracted to. I mean — it had made me _so_ delusional that at the time I'd been convinced that kissing her was the most pleasurable locking-of-lips experience I'd ever had.

Preposterous, completely preposterous.

So yes, no alcohol while the Ice Queen was anywhere nearby.

"Hey," a sultry voice interrupted my determined thoughts and I turned to find a sexy little brunette, full lips pulled up into a smirk, "can I buy you a drink?"

'' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' ''

When I'd arrived at Sesshoumaru's mansion and found Inuyasha there I'd nearly bolted, but remembered my promise at the last moment and so had been forced to spend the next 20 minutes waiting in awkward silence, trying to look at anything but him, and mentally cursing Sesshoumaru. It was the first time I'd had to be in the same room with Inuyasha for more than a few minutes since, what I liked to call, "The Trip to the Twilight Zone."

There was no better name for that anomaly, honestly. It never should have happened. Not in any feasible scenario, or in any wild stretch of the imagination should I have — _shudder_ — kissed that twisted bastard. The fact that he wasn't actually a village idiot, and that he'd been pretending the whole time under the pretense of trying to get me to, "loosen up," actually made me despise him more passionately than I had before. Seeing him made me positively froth at the mouth now. Internally at least — on the outside I tried to remain cool and collected because making sure that no living soul ever found out what exactly happened in that side street was my top priority, second only to the violent eradication of the memory from my mind.

So there I was, forced to be at a party with the very man that I hated more than anyone else — all the while having to keep up a pretense of civility when the only thing I wanted to do was lunge across the table at him, wrap my hands around his throat, and strangle him to death.

I'd been more than a little relieved when we arrived at the crowded dance club and I was able to use the crowd as a buffer between us, better able to pretend he wasn't there at all. I quickly went to the bar and got a stiff drink, ready to enjoy my night out. It'd been too long and I was going to let my hair down and have some _fun_.

I caught a handsome man eyeing me. His hair was tastefully arranged; brooding eyebrows that shadowed intelligent eyes worked together with high cheekbones, a chiseled jaw, and attractive, full lips to create a mouth-watering specimen. I was pleased to note as he approached with confident strides that he had broad shoulders — and going by the way the white button-up pulled across his chest — was _chiseled, _and best of all: he was **tall**.

"I'm sure you don't need anyone to tell you this, but you look fabulous," he smiled and I couldn't help but flush warmly under his gaze, his voice rich and undeniably masculine. "My name's Yusuke, Yusuke Nishigaya."

"Kikyo Sagai," I smiled, twirling the straw in my empty glass.

"How about I buy you another drink?" he flashed a charming smile and I gave a careless shrug.

"Why not?"

'' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' ''

"Have I told you today how beautiful you are," he asked as he came up behind me, his amazing voice making my body react to him instantly. Turning, feeling for the millionth time since he'd ask me to marry him like the luckiest girl in the world, I wrapped my arms around his neck.

"Suck-up," I teased, brown eyes dancing mischievously.

"It's my job," he retorted, attractive lips pulling up into a lopsided smirk.

"Oh, is it now?"

"And someone's got to it," he waggled his eyebrows suggestively and with a laugh, I pulled him down to show him just how much I enjoyed his compliments.

"So," I started conversationally a few minutes later as we stood leaning with our backs against the bar, facing the dance floor, "what do you think is going on with Inuyasha and Kagome's cousin?"

"The lawyer," he asked, one eyebrow raised as he glanced at the people in question.

"Ya," I snorted derisively, "the one that Inuyasha can't seem to keep his eyes off of."

Miroku grinned wolfishly, wrapping an arm around my shoulders, "They were obviously surprised when they saw each other at the house tonight. I had the distinct impression that they wanted to bolt."

"Ha-ha," I snorted, leaning into his shoulder and taking a sip of my Maitai, "in a word: AWKWARD. In all caps."

"So you think something's going on, my little matchmaker," he asked, an impish smile lighting his handsome face.

"Isn't it obvious?" I giggled, "I mean he's had numerous gorgeous partners and even though he's doing a damned good job dancing and flirting with them he _keeps_ looking for her every couple minutes. Like _that,_" I pointed as for the hundredth time Inuyasha's eyes slid surreptitiously to his right and found Kikyo dancing with the darkly attractive man — the same one she'd been with for the last two hours. She was obviously enjoying herself, if her glowing face and constant easy laughter and broad smiles were anything to go by.

She grinned flirtatiously as the man spun her out and away before reeling her back in with a skillful grace, bringing her face dangerously close to his. For a brief moment — so brief if you weren't paying _very_ close attention you would have missed it — a murderous look crossed Inuyasha's face and he stiffened…Before quickly throwing himself into the dance, leaving his dancing partner gasping and swooning up at him with googly-eyes.

Miroku threw his head back and let out a bellyaching laugh. "Oh WOW," he gasped after a few moments, wiping the tears from his eyes, "He's got it bad."

"You think," I laughed, swatting his chest. _Mmm, musk-uls,_ my brain quipped intelligently upon contact with his perfectly sculpted pecs. _I am turning into such a perv_, I thought with an internal groan, _oh wellll! If you got to touch __**this **__body everyday, you'd be just as bad, so there!_

"Oh, believe me," he smirked, "I'd know that reaction anywhere."

"Oh really," I smiled, my hand playing with the first button on his shirt, images of just how good he'd look if I unbuttoned it filling my head, "why's that?"

"He's in denial," I felt his eyes on me and looked up only to gasp. No matter how many times he looked at me, eyes molten brown with heat and desire, I seriously doubted I'd ever get used to it. An answering desire filled my stomach and I shivered, the cloying hot air suddenly feeling cold against my burning skin. "And do you know how I know that?"

"No," I managed to mumble, completely hypnotized by his eyes.

"Because I used to do the _exact_ same thing whenever I saw you dancing with another man," he answered huskily and my heart swelled against my ribs until I thought they would surely break.

"I love you," I whispered, taking his beautiful face in between my hands and staring into brown eyes that reflected the love and adoration shining in my own.

"And I love you, dear-heart."

'' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' ''

"So, what_ are_ we going to do about those two?" Sango asked when I pulled her close as a merengue song started, the cheerful blast of trumpets demanding quick swaying of hips.

"Interfering much," I teased playfully.

"No," she shook her head in mock horror, "me? _Never_."

"Mm-hmm," I smirked, twirling her around as we turned. I didn't miss the way her skirt flared and gave me a tantalizing eye-full of mile-long legs.

"Seriously though, they'd be cute," she continued, eyebrows lifting suggestively.

"Hopeless romantic," I retorted.

"So are you and don't deny it," she glowered, trying to look threatening but failing miserably.

"Trust me, I have a feeling they aren't going to need anymore outside help," I laughed, pointing at Inuyasha — who was currently striding across the dance floor eyes focused on one thing and one thing only: Kikyo.

Who looked she was about to be kissed by her dance partner. Quickly glancing back at Inuyasha I had to admit that he looked positively rabid, his face twisted into a thunderous scowl that was scary enough to give even the bravest pause.

"Ooo," Sango gushed as we paused in our dancing to watch the impending explosion unfold, "a showdown!"

'' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' ''

_What is __**wrong**__ with me, _I thought furiously when I caught my eyes drawn to the accursed women on the other side of the dance floor — again. I'd had no shortage of undeniably attractive women to dance with all night long: short, cute girls; long, slender women that practically oozed with sensuality; blondes; brunettes; raven-haired beauties. I'd had them all eating out of the palm of my hand, but was I satisfied? For some reason that I couldn't fathom, no matter how attractive, funny, or pleasant the girl I currently had in my arms was, I kept finding myself distracted by the women I had officially dubbed as, "Satan."

I'd been dancing with the girl from the bar, flirting shamelessly when I'd seen _her_, moving onto the dance floor with a man that could be summed up with one clichéd phrase: tall, dark, and handsome.

My chest had tightened uncomfortably as I watched her normally expressionless face glow while she smiled up at him, eyes dancing in open delight as he pulled her close and led her through the steps. When I heard her laugh loudly, head thrown back in amusement, I couldn't help but blink stupidly.

She looked positively radiant.

An alien emotion boiled up out of my gut and an irritating voice in my subconscious labeled it as jealousy. Of course, it couldn't be jealousy — that would mean I cared about her, in some way. Which was not only untrue, but also impossible.

At least that's what I thought then, but as the evening drug on — and dance after dance, girl after girl failed to keep my eyes from looking for her, and also failed to extinguish the uncomfortable feeling in my chest that continued to grow more irritating and insistent with every passing minute — a part of me was forced to admit that for whatever reason I didn't like seeing her in that no-good, smarmy, pretty boy's arms.

I was determined to leave it at that, feeling beyond annoyed that I'd been forced to admit something so damning — because this time I had nothing to blame but my own malfunctioning brain — but the next time I'd caught a glimpse of her found that plan unceremoniously dumped.

'' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' ''

I was pleasantly warm, from both hours of dancing and the fourth tequila shot I'd just had. I was still sober — my tolerance for tequila remarkably high — but pleasantly relaxed. "Are you having fun," Yusuke purred in that magnetic voice of his, eyes revealing just how much fun _he_ was having with me.

"Fun doesn't even begin describe it," I laughed, swaying my hips as he turned us, his hand riding low on my back as he pulled me even closer. "I haven't gotten to dance with anyone this good in," I paused thoughtfully, "way too long."

He flashed a smile, revealing his perfectly white teeth, "And I haven't met such an alluring woman for longer than I can remember." I blushed at the blatant compliment — one of many that he'd showered me with over the course of the night. He brought his face near mine, his arm pressing our bodies closer until I could feel the hard contours of his muscled torso, the planes of his sculpted pecs and washboard abs impossible to ignore. Butterflies beat frantically against the confines of my stomach and I shivered as our noses touched and his hot breath caressed my lips. "Nobody here can even hold a candle to you, Kikyo." My name on his sensual lips, when he said in that deep voice, held promises of hours upon hours of pleasure and distraction.

His eyes flicked heatedly from my eyes, to my lips, and back. I licked my lips unconsciously and the hand on my back clenched deliciously, eyes taking on a determined look.

_Oh my go—_ I thought in stupefied anticipation, _best night ever!_ Yes, yes so I sounded like a high school valley girl, so sue me but he was gorgeous and I was _more_ than ready to have him take charge and lay one on me like a man — like I knew he'd wanted to do since the moment he came over to me at the bar. There are few things more attractive than a confident man claiming a girl's lips in a heated kiss — of course, only when the girl _wants_ to be kissed. I mean, no means no people, don't get me wrong but—

With tantalizing slowness he tilted his head, one hand sliding across my shoulder and coming to tangled itself in my hair, fingers scratching pleasantly across my scalp as I lifted my chin to give him more easy access and closed my eyes. I was going to thoroughly enjoy his physical attentions. His sweet breath fanned across my face and I knew that our lips were only separated by a hairsbreadth and my heart beat wildly against my ribs, galloping like a wild horse in giddy anticipation.

I was so absorbed in the moment that I don't think you can even begin to imagine my shock, confusion, and indignant fury when I felt a large hand clamp onto my arm with a vise-like grip and yank me out of Yusuke's arms with impossible strength. Eyes snapping open I turned to yell at whoever had interrupted us and _ruined_ the kiss that I knew was going to be nothing short of epic and that's when I came face to face with the miscreant who seemed single-mindedly intent on making my life a living hell.

There he stood, shoulders rigid, gold eyes snapping like a solar flare, lips pressed together in a thin line as he scowled furiously. If I'd been a lesser woman I might have fainted under the onslaught of rage that radiated off of him, filling the air and pressing down on my skin with painful force.

I wasn't a lesser woman though, and the fury that rose up in me could only be described as cataclysmic.

With a feral growl I attempted to yank my arm out of his grip — I might as well have been a rag-doll fighting an anaconda for all the affect my struggles had on his hold — and snapped, "What the **hell** do you think you are doing?"

"I could ask you the same thing," he growled.

"Wha—" I barked, angry disbelief coloring my voice. The ridiculous urge to scream bloody murder became even harder to resist as he started towing me off the dance floor and away from my ticket to a good time.

"Inuyasha," I hissed, frothing at the mouth as I dug in my heels — again to little affect — "dammit Inuyasha, stop!" He ignored me and dragged me up the steps, attracting several glances that ranged from curious, to amused, to downright worried.

"Let go of me right _now_ or I swear to Go—" I yanked as hard as I could against his hand but he didn't even twitch.

A few seconds later we reached a relatively secluded area near the bar and he spun on me with inhuman speed, glaring daggers. "What are you trying to prove, huh?" he ground out through clenched teeth.

"What—"

"Trying to prove that you can have fun, let loose? Is that it Kikyo?" he growled, taking a step forward forcing me to scramble backwards — as far as his rigid arm and the damned wall behind me would allow.

"It's none of your business what I'm doing," I hissed, returning his heated glare, eyes narrowed to slits. "But if you must know, I'm not trying to prove _anything_. I was enjoying myself until you had to barge in and—"

"Enjoying yourself," he scoffed, rolling his eyes, "what, do you normally go around kissing complete strangers?"

"So what if I did," I snapped irately. "I'm a grown woman, I can do whatever I damn well pleas—"

"You may be a grown woman," he snarled, lip curling into a sneer, "but you're an idiot if you think he wasn't working you."

"How dare you!" I pulled back a hand to slap him, but before I could even get close his free hand shot out and caught my wrist.

"Oh, I'm sure he was a complete gentleman," he purred, expression patronizing as he took another step forward, forcing my arm back down to my side, "showering you with compliments, singing your praises with those tempting lips."

With a brief feeling of surprise I glanced up at him and he smirked, "I see I hit the nail on the head."

"So," I ground out stubbornly, trying to think of how to get away from him. Glancing back at the dance floor my eyes searching frantically I found Yusuke staring at us thoughtfully, the decision to follow or not warring openly on his face.

"So, he only wanted one thing," he hissed, giving me a suggestive look.

Throwing my shoulders back in indignation, I stood at my full height and glowered at him, eyes challenging, "Maybe the feeling was mutual."

His eyebrows shot up in surprise, disappearing behind his bangs and I took advantage of his momentary silence. "Maybe I wanted to kiss him, maybe I wanted to enjoy myself — aren't you the one that claimed I didn't know how to have fun, Inuyasha? That I needed to loosen up."

"I didn't mean that you should go out and start sleeping with complete strangers just to prove me wrong!" he roared, taking us both by surprise.

Now it was my turn to be shocked into silence as I stared at him, mouth opening and closing like a goldfish, eyes wide.

Shaking my head I finally managed to squawk, "Who said anything about _sleeping_ with anybody?"

"You tell me, you were the one that said the feeling was mutual," he snapped, shaking me slightly.

"I thought you were talking about him wanting to kiss me," I spluttered, indignation and embarrassment further darkening my already rosy cheeks — courtesy of the alcohol I'd had.

"Kiss you?" he scoffed, "more like _eat_ you! It was so obvious he wanted to do a whole of hell a lot more than just ki—"

"Oh please, how would you even kno—"

"I'm a guy, that's how!"

"Just because you're a renowned player and enjoy bedding countless women," I jabbed a finger at his rock hard chest, and foolishly ignored the telltale fluttering of my heart at the contact, quickly convincing myself that the reaction was simply caused by my raging temper.

Invading my space further, until there were only a few inches between us, the smell of cologne and his own, unique scent, warm and masculine, filled my nostrils.

"What?" he bellowed, drawing several scandalized glances.

"Oh please," I bit out, "your dirty laundry's always all over the tabloids."

His brow furrowed in distaste he stated sarcastically, "I never would've pegged you for a fan."

"You forget who deals with the legal ramifications of those trashy articles," I hissed, glaring up at him.

"Then you should know better than anyone how they're full of nothing but lies," he snapped.

"Should I?" I laughed without humor. "Everyone knows how much you enjoy your flings."

"Flings," he blurted, eyes wide.

"You've got a new girl every week," I snapped and wondered why the thought bothered me so much. _What the he_—

"Stop deflecting," he bit out, "this isn't about me. This is about you being an idiot and getting played like a fiddle by a man that only wants a bit of as—"

Eyes impossibly wide I did the first thing that came to mind: brought my knee up.

"Oh no you don't," he barked, quickly avoiding the attack by gripping my thigh with a strong hand and pushing my leg back down. He opened his mouth to say something else, but at the skin-on-skin contact we both tensed, an undeniable heat warming both of us. Eyes meeting we stared at each other in stunned silence, both wanting desperately to pretend that we hadn't just felt the spark of attraction that jumped between us like lightning. He removed his hand as if I'd burned him and scowled.

"You shouldn't go around kissing total strangers."

"You should mind your own business," I retorted, letting out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding, incredibly relieved at the loss of contact that had wreaked havoc on my nerves.

"I'd gladly mind my own business, but unfortunately, it's painfully obvious that you're too naïve to be left alone."

"Says the man who's been dancing with every simpering female that threw herself at him," I snipped, meaning to sound condescending, but to my horror my words came out sounding almost miffed.

Unfortunately — _why can't he be a dense behemoth for real,_ a frantic voice screamed inside my skull— he picked up on the tone and with rising trepidation I watched as his lips pulled up into a smirk. _Sexy lips_, a traitorous voice whispered in my head and I desperately tried to turn my eyes to look at anything but the lips in question. Unfortunately I made the mistake of looking at his eyes and quickly found myself drowning.

_Shit._

'' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' ''

I removed my hand from her leg, quickly burying the not-so-PG thoughts that the contact had inspired. I didn't even know what I'd been thinking when I strode over and ripped her out of that man's arms. That was just it: I hadn't been thinking. I'd been riding on the waves of pure fury that for whatever reason could only be described as possessive.

Which was beyond ludicrous.

Kikyo was **not** mine. She had every right to be dancing with whomever the hell she pleased. The logical part of my mind knew that, but the illogical, animalistic part roared to life at the sight of his lips closing in on hers and quickly overrode any arguments that I threw at it.

Before I knew it I had her backed up against the wall, one hand on her arm, embroiled in a furious verbal sparring match. I would have been impressed with her mettle and her fiery temper if I hadn't been so riled up myself. However, my temper didn't keep my overactive brain from noticing how unbelievably tempting she looked incensed: breasts heaving, brown eyes crackling fiercely, cheeks rosy, lips open and inviting. It took every shred of self-control I had to keep from reacting to her in a manner that would have been the last nail on the coffin that was my denial.

I was still trying desperately to convince myself that my protective concern for her was purely plutonic and did not in _any_ way mean that I actually _liked_ the woman. I couldn't deny the attraction anymore, but I was going to fight tooth and nail against the idea that I might hold some amount of affection for her.

When she'd claimed that I was a player — a promiscuous womanizer — I'd been dumbfounded. I couldn't decide what was stranger: what she'd insinuated about my character, or that _she_ was the one insinuating it. As we'd persisted with our verbal attacks and I continued to invade her space, drawing closer like a moth to the flame, I stupidly ignored the alarm bells ringing in my ears.

_This is a recipe for disaster_, a voice warned shrilly after I let my hand fall back to my side, the loss of contact making a small part of me want to whine petulantly.

"You shouldn't go around kissing total strangers," I finally managed to get out, my lips having difficulty forming words for some reason.

"You should mind your own business," she shot back, and I didn't miss the relieved exhalation that escaped her lips or the way it felt as it caressed my face.

Ignoring the way my heart lurched in my chest at the sensation I snapped, "I'd gladly mind my own business, but unfortunately, it's painfully obvious that you're too naïve to be left alone."

"Says the man who's been dancing with every simpering female that threw herself at him," she threw back, but I didn't miss the note of displeasure that had crept into her tone, or the petulant frown that briefly twisted her attractive mouth.

Like a drowning man latching onto a piece of driftwood my mind ran with the implications of that one sentence and I couldn't help but smirk devilishly. I didn't miss the way her eyes lingered on my lips or how she'd look horrified for a brief moment before quickly looking away. Our eyes met and I felt my lungs stutter despite myself, the natural predatory tendencies in me bubbling to the surface at the heat tinged with panic that I found swirling in her expressive brown eyes.

"Does it bother you," I purred, my eyes roaming over her titillating curves.

"Hardly," she huffed, narrowing her eyes at me, but I didn't miss the way her voice shook slightly.

Glancing at her lips, I couldn't stop the heat the swept over me and before I could stop myself I bent down, touching my nose to hers, "Really?"

"Not like you obviously can't stand the idea of me kissing Yusuke," she tried to sound angry, but her voice came out as nothing more than a breathy whisper that I would've missed with the pounding music and the noise of the club if my hearing hadn't been so acute.

"And what if I said it did bother me," a husky voice purred and I realized with no small amount of horror that it was _my_ voice. _Oh no… I did __**not**__ just say that!_

She stared at me in shock, face flushed, lips parted as she obviously tried to think of how to respond to _that_ verbal blunder-bomb.

"I'd say shove it," she finally blurted, eyes snapping.

_Dear Lord, she's ravishing,_ I thought, a mere heartbeat before I lost all control and descended upon her lips with hungry intent, pressing my body against hers, reveling in the heady scent of her answering attraction and the heavenly feel of her lips against mine.

45768911111

"Should we, uh," I started uncertainly, eyes widening as I saw Inuyasha drag an obviously unwilling Kikyo off the dance floor and away from her very confused dance partner.

Sesshoumaru followed my line of sight and instead of looking concerned merely smirked smugly. "Ah," he said, as if that explained everything.

" 'Ah,' what?" I blurted, my curiosity growing by leaps and bounds.

"Finally."

"You're vague responses are quickly becoming infuriating," I pouted, shaking him by the shoulders. "You're killing me here mister— spill."

A rich chuckle bubbled out of his lips and he turned to look at me with warm, gold eyes. He opened his mouth with a mischievous tilt to his lips and I quickly put a warning finger against them, silencing him, "And don't even think of saying, 'Curiosity killed the cat.'"

He scoffed, pretending to be offended, "I would _never_."

I snorted, showing just how much I believed _that_ obvious fib and he smiled, "I was simply going to say that you look incredibly mouthwatering in your little red dress."

"Flirt," I smacked his arm and he smirked roguishly.

"Guilty as charged," he acknowledged.

"Stop changing the subject."

He laughed, and took my hand in his leading me off the dance floor and over to the bar where Inuyasha and Kikyo, who were arguing heatedly, were in our line of sight. "Sit back and enjoy the show," he waggled his eyebrows suggestively, "however this ends, I guarantee you won't want to miss it."

"Ok, but care to explain why I shouldn't go rescue my cousin who's obviously furious," I quirked an eyebrow at him as he handed me a Long Island Ice Tea. I grimaced as I took a sip. There was more alcohol in that glass than coke. _Better be careful_, I thought, _or I'm going to end up drunk before the night's over._

"Because they have something they need to deal with," he tilted his head, watching them thoughtfully.

"Uh, right, and what exactly is that?" I snorted, taking a long draught.

"I'm not sure," he grinned as Kikyo tried — and failed — to slap Inuyasha in the face.

"What?" I squeaked. "What do you mean you're not sure?"

"I'm not sure exactly what happened between the two of them three weeks ago, but they've been acting strangely around each other ever since," he elaborated, sipping thoughtfully on his whisky.

"You mean avoiding looking at each other and being plain awkward?" I smirked, remembering the times I'd noticed it during dinner.

He nodded and waggled his eyebrows playfully, "I'll admit I had some ulterior motives when I invited her tonight — revenge is so sweet. Don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise."

"Sesshoumaru Taisho," I gasped.

"My father started it," he said, pushing off the blame, "I'm merely following in his footsteps. Their mutual attraction is painfully obvious. That's probably why Mr. Casanova over there has decided not to interfere. No doubt he's come to the conclusion that they're dating, or ex-lovers."

"I can't believe that you're playing cupid!" I shook an accusatory finger at him.

"That's what big brothers are for, right?" he snickered.

"I _love_ you," I blurted without thinking. We both froze and he turned to stare at me, gold eyes swirling with so many emotions that I couldn't even begin to sort them out.

"I- I mean," I stuttered, frantically trying to think of a way to fix what I'd said.

There was no doubt in my mind that I'd fallen in love with the man but, good gad, I wasn't ready to say it out loud! I'd never said it to anyone in a romantic way! And damn it all, but I was old fashioned — I refused to say it first.

I mean, how many times have you heard about girls saying it first and having the guy wig out and dump them in the dirt faster than you can say, "Ding-dong-dead." You've all heard about it, you've seen it in the movies — you and I both know there's a grain of truth behind all that fuss. Not that I think Sesshoumaru would be that kind of chicken-livered jerk but, I still reserve my right to wait for him to say it first.

So there I was, trying to furiously backpedal, with him staring at me, his face unreadable. My heart pounded in my chest and the gears and wheels in my brain whirred at a frantic pace, but nothing came to mind and I was left in open-mouthed embarrassment for several agonizing heartbeats.

_Can I just click my little red shoes together and go, 'Poof'? Please? Fates, cut me a break for once, huh?_

"I mean, you're really sweet," I finally croaked, cheeks still flaming like a red neon light.

A single, perfect eyebrow rose.

"You know, to your brother," I rambled nervously. "It's cute."

A second eyebrow rose and I grimaced. He took pity on me though and with a nod, gestured at Inuyasha and Kikyo who were now inches apart, still locked in a verbal row. "How much do you want to bet that this ends on a more physical note?"

"Ha," I laughed, incredibly relieved at the change of topic and turned my back on him to focus on the pair in question, "I'd be an idiot to think that it **won't**. Now whether it will end with Kikyo hitting him or the two of them," I put my fingertips together and made smacking sounds symbolizing a meeting of lips, "that's a tossup."

He chuckled warmly as something Inuyasha said made Kikyo stiffen, bringing her knee up violently. "True."

"Ouch," I winced, when Inuyasha barely managed to stop her.

Suddenly, I could feel Sesshoumaru's breath on the back of my neck and my hair stood at attention. I didn't have to look behind me to know that a distance as thin as spider silk separated our bodies. His voice was unbearably husky saying my name like a prayer. My knees turned to Jell-O and I was sure I was going to collapse into a dreamy pile of goo right there in the middle of the club. I have no doubt that I would have, but fortunately he decided to wrap a strong, muscular arm around my waist from behind at that very moment, supporting my limp weight with ease.

"Yes," I breathed, amazed at how hard it had been to get my lips to form that insignificant little three-letter word.

And then my world tilted on it axis, spun backwards in a blinding flash and came to a jarring halt as the voice I knew so well said three heart-stopping, life-altering words:

"I love you."

'' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' ''

After longer than I care to admit, the fog over my brain cleared just enough for me to realize exactly who it was I was kissing, which in turn, helped me remember how much I _hated _him and how _mad_ I was at him.

I stubbornly refused to admit to myself that an overwhelming part of me found my hate and anger suddenly insignificant when faced with the undeniable pleasure he was pulling out of me with each agonizing kiss. Amazingly it was just as mind-blowing — maybe more so — than the last time we'd had a meeting of lips.

I'm nothing if not tenacious though — that's why I'm so good at my job after all — so with one last ditch attempt to resist my treacherous body's reactions to a certain white-haired male, I drummed up a Herculean strength and pulled away, breaking the kiss, glaring at him furiously.

The stupefied expression that flitted slowly across his face might have been amusing if I hadn't felt my heart pound excitedly in response to the other emotion that was reflected clearly in his eyes: pure arousal.

"Kikyo," he finally murmured, and I was shocked at the way he said my name — almost like it meant something to him. _Which was absurd_.

"I hate you," I ground out, beginning my struggles anew, wanting desperately to put some distance between us so I could try to pretend that I wasn't attracted to him, that I hadn't just kissed him _again_, and that I didn't want to keep kissing him.

A strange look flashed in his eyes before it disappeared and instead of letting go of me like I wanted him to — needed him to — the corners of his mouth twitched in amusement.

"Do you now?" he asked gently, voice low and seductive and I couldn't help but shiver.

"Yes," I gasped as he ran a thumb over my lips, eyeing me hungrily, "I despise you."

"Hm," he murmured, brushing his lips across my cheek, down my jaw, and over the pulse point that was jumping wildly on my neck, "then I guess there's a reason they say there's a fine line between love and hate."

Someone let out a moan of pleasure that bordered on scandalous. With no small amount of mortification I realized I'd been the unknowing culprit.

"Inuyasha," I tried to growl but it came out as a breathy gasp.

He paused in his current attentions to the sensitive skin on my neck and brought his head back up to stare into my eyes with a shocking intensity. How I could have ever fallen for his "idiot" act, I had no idea. He sounded almost as desperate as I felt as he murmured darkly, "Tell me you hate me, tell me one more time — and try to mean it this time."

"I hate you," I whispered, but it sounded less convincing than it had the first time.

"Try again," he demanded, nibbling on my lower lip as I trembled against him, the fight in me already gone, leaving me utterly exhausted and limp.

"I—" my last feeble attempt died on my lips as they became irrevocably engaged in a completely different activity.

'' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' '' ''

I was awake early, Saturday morning around 5 a.m. — only an hour earlier than usual. I was a morning person, and I liked to get started on my day as soon as possible. I heard a strangely familiar peal of musical laughter and pulled aside the curtain on the window above my kitchen sink where I'd been rinsing out my coffee mug. Peering out into the shadowy parking lot, my eyebrows unconsciously raised in surprise as I found an obviously inebriated Kagome stumbling and laughing across the parking lot, an amused Sesshoumaru making sure she didn't hurt herself as they made their way to the stairs. She said something that made him laugh, and with blurring speed he lifted her up in his arms, bridal style and carried her up the stairs — to which she protested loudly.

"I'm _fine_, you big overprotective puppy," she squealed, pretending to be put out, but was obviously enjoying his considerate attention.

I chuckled darkly, smirking wickedly as I let the curtain go and picked up the plate of cooked sausage and bacon. Taking an aggressive bite out of a slightly burnt piece of bacon I murmured, "Enjoy it while you still can, Kagome. Unfortunately for you, it won't last long."

\ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ /

"Have I mentioned," Kagome slurred lazily, eyes hooded as she fought her obvious drowsiness and more than slight inebriation, "how _unfai_r iddiz…you have such gooorgeous hair?"

To illustrate her point she tugged on a lock as I tried to get my hands on her purse so I could open her door. She was making it difficult though, squirming distractingly in my arms and I had to focus on trying not to drop her or worse: ravishing her.

Of course I had more control than that.

_Hopefully_.

Dancing with the little temptress, locking lips repeatedly, and hours of flirting — topped with my shocking confession — had served to leave my control in a state of questionable flimsiness.

Finally, with keys in hand I opened the door, quickly removed her shoes, and set her down on the floor. "And you always look nummy," she cooed while running a teasing hand down my spine with an appreciative hum as I tried to take off my shoes.

"I bet you'd even look hot wif bed-head," she purred and I flinched, her harmless words hitting me with a barrage of images of me in my bed — with her.

Swallowing nervously I straightened and quickly plastered a cocky, carefree look on my face, "I think it's time to get you to bed, dear."

"Your shirt looks really good on you," she smiled lasciviously, roaming fingers playing with the top button before quickly undoing it, "but it'd look better _off_ you."

The synapses in my brain ground to a smoking halt and I stared at her blankly, my fragile grip on restraint slipping dangerously.

"Ok, yeah," I gasped, shaking my head violently to clear my less-than-innocent thoughts, "you need to sleep it off."

"No," she pouted, lecherous fingers already attacking the next button.

"And I need to go," I added tightly, deep down knowing I wanted to do nothing of the sort.

"Bu' you look good enough to eat," she over-enunciated the 't' and batted her eyelashes at me, scrambling hands trying to keep from getting removed from my person by my own less-determined hands.

_Heaven help me_…

"And I'd like to do juuuuust that," she waggled her eyebrows suggestively and I might have found her uncanny resemblance to Miroku at the moment amusing if I didn't find myself so violently affected by it.

Scrambling backwards as fast as my suddenly graceless limbs would allow I blurted nervously, "And that's my cue. I need to be gone — like yesterday."

"But," she started, moving forward and stubbornly gripping the doorknob when I tried to put the door between as a shield — albeit a very flimsy one.

"Good night," I called from the other side of the door as I shut it with a decisive 'slam,' leaning against it weakly.

"_Kami, _I feel like I've been run over by a Mack truck," I breathed, feeling exhausted. I found my gaze wandering and twitched when it landed on the doorknob, a whisper of longing rising in my chest.

I was down the stairs and across the parking lot in the blink of eye, hands jammed into my pockets, shoulders hunched, feet stomping loudly as I muttered one word over and over like a mantra, a note of panic in my voice: run.

~End Chapter~

Author's apology continued:

Well, I hope that was ok. I know it can't possibly make up for my sad lack of updates — I do realize that I haven't updated this story in over THREE YEARS.

Dear Lord.

Truly though, to all the people that enjoyed this story as much as I did, if you are still out there: I am very sorry and hope you can forgive me. I have loads of excuses of course, but I still feel bad and it doesn't erase the fact that it sucks that the story paused for THAT long. I know what it's like to have a story you enjoy just freeze and then there you are, face palming it and feeling deflated. It sucks and I'm sorry. I suck.

If you are wondering what happened here's the short version: Due to my mom's illness when I came back to the states to finish my undergraduate degree I decided to go to graduate school — an idea that was far from appealing and more than a little terrifying. I'd never planned or wanted to go to grad school — I had no illusions of grandeur and was more than happy with keeping things simple. Life got a lot less simple though when my mom got sick and my original plan to immediately find work in Japan after my senior year suddenly seemed not-so-brilliant. The doctors said that with the type of cancer she had that she may only have 3 years despite the fact that they found it early, but that it could accelerate at any point. So stalling the overseas job-hunt I decided beefing up my credentials and staying closer to home (even if it was 3 hours away at school it was still better than halfway across the globe) was the best option and went to grad school at the same place I'd gotten my undergrad.

Grad school was, to put it bluntly: a creative-juice sucking, time-eating, stress-inducing pain in the ass. For two years the only time my fingers got to touch the keyboard was when I was pounding out tomes of scientific writings on pedagogy and research on the subject. My final project was a 114-page document where I basically designed and wrote an entire unit in an imaginary college course. So although I desperately wanted to continue this story, I had no time or creativity to spare.

Plus, to be honest, I have a crappy memory and well, this story is LONG and even though I wrote it I knew I was going to have to go back and reread the ENTIRE thing before I could even thinking about starting it up again. I've added up all the pages and before this chapter I'd already reached 338 pages in word (Times Roman 12 pt. font). That's like a book. (O.o)

Then I landed a job in Taiwan teaching English to kids after I graduated. My mom is still sick — but fortunately still alive after more than 3 years (take that Dr. Death in Omaha!) — but I needed to get a job to help them with expenses and so I had to bite the bullet and finally move halfway across the globe. I've been here since late July and it's been ridiculously busy and stressful and I've finally, after over six months, managed to streamline the time it takes to prep for work, etc, and finally have gotten a **little bit** of free-time on my hands. I recently had a holiday — yay for Chinese New Years! — and feeling incredibly antsy and DETERMINED I loaded this story onto my iPad and started reading it from the beginning, taking notes (so I can refer back to them LATER and don't have to reread everything AGAIN), and got my brain back on track. And FINALLY on Monday night I started to write this chapter. I'm not sure if it's ok or not, and I'm sure there are like a billion idiotic typos and grammatical boo-boos but I really felt like I couldn't afford to delay anymore and so I sucked it up and have gotten it up FINALLY.

Yes, sadly, that really WAS the condensed version. *cringe*

I had fun writing it — even if it's lousy — and getting reacquainted with the characters so even if no one else sees this, it was worth it. If anyone does see it, or anyone is still waiting for the continuation, I hope that you aren't disappointed and that you can forgive me someday.

Apologetically and with love, Happy Early Valentine's Day!

Bloodrain's tears

If you are wondering what the songs for the ringtones were, they are as follows:

Taisho: Red Hot Chili Peppers, "Snow (Hey Oh)"

Rin: Chris Brown, "Kiss-kiss"

Inuyasha: Fergie, "Big girls don't cry"

Kagome's phone (a.k.a. Lulu): Hellogoodbye, "Here in my arms"

Again, if you are wondering why I didn't have any more recent songs or movies in this chapter, (I had several recent songs that would have been PERFECT too, darn it all!) because of the 3 year delay I had to go back and find movies and songs that came out during 2007 (since the calendar dates are for 2007 – epic fail).

Also, possible money questions: Watanabe's fee: totals at about $5,466 U.S.

Weddings fees: reservation: approx. $1,907 U.S.

Cost per person: approx $191 U.S.

Alrighty… here goes nothing! (^.^)/


	13. Chapter 13: Gowns & Goons

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters involved. All credit goes to Rumiko T. for her creative genius. I also do not own Rihanna's song "Break it off," or Hellogoodbye's song, "Here in your arms."

Author's note: Ok, so I've decided to try something a little different. Instead of writing 30-40 page tomes every chapter (like chapter 12) I'm going to try out the 25-30 page length for my chapters. Hopefully that is still a satisfactory length, but it's also a little bit easier for me to handle with my intense work schedule. That way, I'm hoping it'll be easier for me to crank these out and people won't have to wait as long in between updates. I know what it's like to wait for the next chapter and how excited I get when I see that there's been an update on a story I like so, hopefully if I make them a little shorter it will be better for everyone involved. I hope it's not a disappointment to anyone though… (O_O)

Also, secondary disclaimer: I've been proofing this late at night after 12 hour days AND was in the ER this weekend due to a severe case of the flu that made my BP go down to 80 (at the highest) so had to be on an IV drip and am still not able to eat any real food and am very weak and tired… Soooo…. if this chapter sucks, I apologize and please forgive me. I'm sure it will be full of mistakes and grammatical blunders and such, but hopefully you'll still find something in the chapter to make you smile, giggle, or maybe — if I'm lucky — laugh.

Happy note: ffnet decided to play nice today and let me do special characters for POV switches *hallelujah it's a miracle! so here they are:

Kagome: ! $ $ ! ! $ $ ! ! $ $ !

Sesshoumaru: / \ / \ / \ / \

Sango/Miroku/anyone else: " " " " " "

Inuyasha/Kikyo: " * " * " * " * " * "

So! Hopefully that will help! (^_^)v

≈Ω≈

**Chapter 13: Gowns and Goons**

Naraku sat in his cell on his battered mattress, the broken springs jabbing his hip bones as he read the carefully folded letter on pristine white paper. The neat black lines reflected the writer's compulsive, organized manner.

_Naraku_,

_Life on the outside is great. Of course! My new neighbor is a lovely lady. She has an easy smile and delightful blue eyes that sparkle like the ocean on a sunny day in summer. She is from Nagoya so, considering our mutual dialect and experiences in Western Japan, we have begun a casual friendship. She has a lovely dog, a young husky, and has further inspired me to purchase a dog of my own — perhaps I will adopt one from the shelter that she volunteers at. I'd like to find opportunities to see her more, so I am thinking of volunteering there. If I get a dog myself, then I could even spend time with her in the dog park. _

_She seems to be very open and trusting and I enjoy her effervescent personality. She recently had a birthday but seemed upset by a letter — she said — that she received. She wouldn't really talk about it much, but it obviously unsettled her badly._

_Apparently her boyfriend is none other than one of the infamous business tycoons of Tokyo. It's a little discouraging to know that she's already "taken" so to speak, but I refuse to give up just yet. I'm planning on gradually finding ways to spend more and more time with her, so maybe with a little luck and a lot of patience I can start to have a fighting chance._

_Work at Pentax has been good. I'm rising up in the ranks thanks to my people skills and financial know-how. I'll be sure to keep you posted. Hope that you are doing all right – don't get discouraged, you'll be out soon and then we can have a celebratory drink together._

_Cheers,_

_Genji_

! $ $ ! ! $ $ ! ! $ $ ! ! $ $ !

I was sitting amongst a pile of colorful silk pillows, nestled into the most luxurious mattress I'd ever had the pleasure of experiencing. But better than the decadent surroundings I found myself in, there was a massive bowl of Häagen-Dazs cappuccino truffle ice cream in my lap. And next to my polished toes — tucked under my legs as I sat cross-legged, cradling the gy-nooooormous porcelain bowl of sweet loveliness with loving adoration — was an equally gargantuan plate of cheesecake and fudge brownies. So fresh from the oven that they were still steaming, radiating the heavenly aroma that only brownies possess, tickling my keen nostrils with their tantalizing, drool-inspiring scent.

"I've died and gone to sweet-tooth heaven," I chirped happily, digging into the gooey ice cream with gusto, "and Tooth Fairy hell!" Laughing I munched on the brownies, reveling in the sinful way the coffee flavored ice cream melted and mixed with the hot fudge brownie, sending my taste-buds into orgasmic oblivion.

"Oh, go-" I moaned blissfully and got ready to take another heaping spoonful when a painful screeching noise rent the quiet, making my ear drums bleed.

"No!" I cried, clamping my hands over my ears, "No, no, no! I don't want to wake up! Not yet!"

_Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!_

"But the ice cream!"

The ice cream in question was rapidly dissolving, fading into the Sandman's realm as my brain disobediently began to rouse itself.

"The brownies," I groaned, reaching for the plate just as it too began to disappear.

"Curse it all," I grumbled, slowly beginning to register the pounding headache that was settling between my eyes.

Arms flailing blindly, I reached out and sent the obnoxious torture device, otherwise known as an alarm clock, flying across the room with a ringing _thunk_. _Victory_, I thought sleepily. _Alarm clock: half a point — woke me up partway. Me: one! Killed that suck-_

_Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!_

"Ow," I moaned, rolling over in my tangled sheets. I tried to open my eyes to glare at it, but was having some difficulty. My head was pounding; my stomach protested the rolling and pretty much movement of any kind; and when I finally managed to crack an eye open, I winced at the bright morning light that was shining through my window with _far_ too much cheer and generally sunnyness. "Dear Lord, why do I feel so—"

Finding the clock a good five feet away against the wall I could only growl — or try to growl: the nauseous feeling in my stomach made it quickly wilt into a pitiful grumble. Wriggling none-too-gracefully, I crawled onto the floor, trailing sheets behind me as I half-crawled, half-dragged myself across the room Shawn-of-the-Dead-style. By the time I reached the clock my foul mouth had worked up a storm of blasphemous language. As I picked up the clock and flicked the button to the "off" position, memories of the night before startled to trickled back and I realized why I felt so horrid.

I had a hangover. I started to shake my head, but quickly decided against it, the hammer-pounding trolls in my skull vicious and unrelenting in their attack.

"Ugh," I mumbled intelligently, leaning against the wall and wondered if I should even bother dragging my vengeful body back to bed. "This hasn't happened in," I paused, squinting my eyes shut as I calculated, "at least 2 or 3 years. And never this bad…"

_How did I even get home_, I wondered, trying to remember more details of the night before. My birthday. We'd gone out for my birthday — after the surprise dinner party at Sesshoumaru's house and after he'd given me my presents. I knew I should feel disturbed by the treacherous lengths that he and Sango took, but it was really too sweet for me to not be happy about it. I smiled weakly, remembering the amazing food he'd made — with a little help from Rin and Sango — and the beautiful plants he'd purchased for me to use to design a garden for him.

It was obvious he'd bought the flowers for me, but I appreciated the fact that he'd gotten me a present that I could turn around into a present for him. I'd be making him a garden, something that he and Rin could enjoy, so I didn't have to feel _quite_ as bad about being showered with gifts. Again.

The thoughtfulness was appreciated.

Then we'd gone dancing and that's what was to blame for my current state. Okay, let me rephrase that. It's obviously my own damned fault. But that's where I'd apparently forgotten how much of a lightweight I could be sometimes. And then — if the ferocity of the headache was any indication — I'd continued to be idiotic and forgotten to drink any Pocari Sweat before I went to sleep.

Pocari Sweat: the anti-hang over elixir!

"Water," I finally groaned, dragging my rebelling body up off the floor, using the wall for support. In the kitchen, my hand on a glass as I poured water out of the Britta pitcher, I remembered with some amusement the fight we'd seen between Inuyasha and Kikyo that ended up as a make-out session that could be summed up in two words: epically passionate. Then, with a blush as red as a male cardinal, I remember Sesshoumaru's tender confession.

"Oh my go-" I clapped a hand over my mouth, trying to contain the squeal of excitement that wanted to come out now that I was alone and could celebrate like I'd wanted to last night. Of course, I felt too sick to celebrate at the moment, so that would just have to be postponed for a little longer. "He loves me. Sesshoumaru Taisho of Taisho & Sons, Mr. I'm-too-sexy-for-my-own-good, Mr. So-hot-it-should-be-a-crime says that he's in love. With me. A school teacher. A little insignificant nobody. Holy shi—"

Just then my phone rang from the confines of my purse, which had been dropped sloppily on the couch. Reaching it just before it cut the caller off I checked the id — for once! Hoorah! — and saw Sango's name flashing on the screen.

"Sango," I said. "Hey."

A loud peal of musical laughter sounded on the other side of the phone and I groaned as the trolls picked up their pace. "Geez, could you not be so _loud_?" I begged sounding just as pitiful as I felt.

"Gooooood morning to you, too, my eternal ray of sunshine and cheer!" she squealed — loudly.

"I will kill you."

"Ya, how?"

"Throwing up on you the next time I see you."

"Eeew," she gasped, "that's just uncalled for."

"Says the girl who obviously feels just fine," I huffed, slumping down on the couch.

"Did someone forget the first rule of over-imbibing?" she teased, voice patronizing.

"Pocari-sweat before you sleep, no need to weep," we both recited from memory — a discordant mixture of cheerful tones and dead-man-walking growls.

"Seriously," I growled, eyes crossing from the newest bout of pounding thanks to the monsters wreaking havoc in my cranium, "who ever uses, 'over-imbibing'? I mean is that even a _word_?"

"Didn't Sesshoumaru take you home," she asked, completely sidestepping my complaint.

"Ya," I ran a hand through my hair as I closed my eyes. "I remember him bringing me home and…"

"I'm surprised Mr. Knight-in-Metaphorical-Shining-Armor didn't make sure you drank plenty of water before you went sleep," she murmured thoughtfully. "I mean I wouldn't have been surprised if he'd ended up sleeping over," she added lecherously.

"Sango!" I screeched, a radiant blush blooming on my cheeks, painfully embarrassed. "I'm Rin's teacher!"

"You said it yourself," she laughed and my sluggish brain tried — and failed — to make the connection, that was undoubtedly totally obvious.

"Wha-?" I asked. _Sharpest tool in the shed — yup, that's me, folks! No doubt about i-_

Her only response was to snicker evilly so I sighed, "Ok, enlighten me already, Obi-one!"

"You didn't say that _you_ would mind if he spent the night, only that you _won't_ because you're Rin's teacher," she explained patiently. "Which need I remind you: after January you won't be anymore."

"Oh stuff it," I snarked.

"That's what," she paused for effect, "like less than three months?"

"Not a word."

"You know you wanna," she sang giddily.

"You and Roku are really perfect for each other," I pinched the bridge of my nose, glaring even though I knew she couldn't see it, "you are both unbelievably lecherous."

"Ouch."

"Oh you know I'm right," I chuckled quietly, sagging further into the pillows.

"Well, you aren't so innocent either," she huffed and I rolled my eyes and opened my mouth to come back with some sort of smart-alecky remark but she cut me off. "So what _did_ happen after he took you home if he didn't get you to drink water — which I am _totally _going to have give him an ear-full for. I mean what kind of boyfriend does that? _Lame_."

"Um," I said, thinking hard, which made me just want to go back to bed even more. Fragments of memories, snippets of images and conversations started to rise to the surface. "He brought me back, carried me up the stairs and, and—"

"And," she prodded.

"Oh man," I groaned, starting to remember the idiot conversation I'd had with him after we got inside the apartment. "I told him he had gorgeous hair."

"That's not so ba-"

"And that he always looked 'nummy,'" I slapped my forehead with my palm, and suddenly realized how bad an idea _that_ had been. _Oh well, _I thought in defeat, _it's not like it's the first stupid thing I did in the last 12 hours. And I have the sinking suspicion it won't be the last_.

"Oh," she said. The sound of a loud snort hit my ears and she finally continued, giggling obnoxiously, "Ok, that's a little more-"

"Shite," I gasped, finally remembering _why_ Sesshoumaru had left. _Fled is more like it_, I thought, horrified.

"What? What's wrong?" she squeaked.

"Oh sweet sea biscuits," I cried, "I can't believe I _said_ that to him!"

"Said _what_?" she shouted, her curiosity skyrocketing no doubt.

"I've been spending way too much time with you two," I accused. _Ya, sure, shift the blame. Just shift it. Daaah!_ "I said, and I quote, 'Your shirt looks good on you, but I bet it'd look even better _off_ you.' Sango, I can't believe-"

The sound of loud, gasping laughter drowned me out and I grumbled, "Glad you think it's so funny that I made a complete bafoon of myself. Really, such a great friend."

"I'm sorry," she gasped, choking with laughter, "but that was just such a classically Miroku thing to say."

"Believe me," I huffed, "I'm aware."

"Oh, Kags," she sighed happily, her laughter finally slowing. Kind of. Ok, maybe not so much, but at least now her words were a little clearer. "I didn't know you had it in you — I am so proud! We'll make a naughty little perv out of yet."

Closing my eyes I remembered his face before he bolted out the door. "He looked surprised and — well, nervous — when I said that and started trying to," I paused, almost too embarrassed to continue, "trying to undo the buttons on his shirt. And then, I, I told him not to go, that I wanted to…to…"

"Spill," she snapped.

"That I wanted to _eat_ him," I whispered.

"What, can you say that louder?"

"I said that I wanted to _eat_ him," I said.

"I still couldn't hear you, try that agai-"

"You are _such _a liar," I growled.

She just laughed and chirped, "Ha, ya, you're right — I heard you the first time. Just wanted to hear you say it again. Talk about _golden_. My little Kagome, the cannibal."

"Remember this at your wedding when I give the most embarrassing bridesmaid's speech known to man. Remember it well," I smirked, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Duly noted."

"Seriously, consider yourself warned. No whining rights, got it?"

"Got it. Clear as crystal. Clear as your desire to do sinful things with a certain white-haired _taiyo_-"

_Click_.

"I gotta go work on that speech," I mumbled, sitting up from the couch. A bout of nausea washed over me and I sat down, grabbing the glass of water I'd placed on the coffee table. "On second thought, it can wait a little bit. I have a whole month to make it diabolically mortifying."

/ \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \

"It's official," my dad said, coming to lean on the frame of the door to his office, head at an inquisitive tilt — several minutes after Inuyasha had left to go to another meeting and was out of earshot.

"What is?" I asked out boredom, knowing full well that he'd tell me whether or not I deigned to respond to his sudden announcement.

"Something is going on with Inuyasha and Sagai-san," he stated, arms crossed over his broad chest. The man still had a great figure despite the impressive number of years he bore.

"Oh," I intoned, feigning innocence.

"Oh don't even try to pretend like you don't know," he waved a hand at me, tone chiding as he crinkled his nose in distaste. "I saw your little smirk earlier that you thought you'd hidden so well. Being with that little schoolteacher has made your face more emotive, boy. For which I'm glad. But either way, you know something is going on."

"I don't know what you are talking about," I sniffed, quickly turning my attention back to the computer screen.

"Friday, the second of November, was it? You had a surprise party for Higurashi, correct?" he continued, completely bulldozing over my flimsy wall of denial.

"That is correct," I replied.

"That was over a week ago," he pursed his lips, "and Sagai-san has been wreaking with apprehension and stress every time she's had to come into the office. And anytime Inuyasha's been in here she's grown stiff as a board and the scent of anger and embarrassment has positively filled the room. Even _if_ you were blind — which I've sometimes had cause to wonder — I know that your damned nose still works, so I know you can't have been clueless this whole time."

"Hn," I said.

"So tell me, what happened — I'm assuming you invited Sagai-san to the party? Along with Inuyasha?"

"You should be on a matchmaking show, father, really," I sighed, typing rapidly on the keys, wishing the rhythmic sound would drown out his voice. I didn't want to be the one to rat Inuyasha out. I knew full-well how that could come back to bit me in the arse…

"Can you blame a man for wanting to be involved in his son's life," he huffed, looking offended.

"No, but being meddlesome is a completely different matt-"

"Says the boy who couldn't even remember to ask the woman out!"

"I just didn't want to rush things," I growled; still loathe to admit that he was right about that one.

He snorted, showing me just what he thought of that. "Fine, if you won't tell me, I'll find out some other way," he declared as he turned on his heel.

_Ah_, I thought happily, _safe at last._

"Rin, darling," my dad's large voice boomed from his office, "how'd you like to go to dinner with your favorite Grandpa tonight, sweetie-pie?"

_Shit_e.

! $ $ ! ! $ $ ! ! $ $ !

Ran bounded happily to the door yodeling a welcome song seconds before a fist slammed energetically against my door.

"Coming," I yelled, hopping on one foot as I tried valiantly to jam my other foot into a pair of bejeweled blue suede flats. I tripped over one of Ran's ubiquitous toys and fell into the _genkan_ with a loud crash that sounded worse than it felt — thanks to the various pairs of shoes spread out over the area like a makeshift fireman's trampoline. You know, the kind you see in the cartoons when someone has to jump out a window and —

"Oh my go- Kags! Are you alright?" Sango's panicked voice sounded from the other side of the door and the doorknob began wiggling frantically. Of course the door was locked so her wild scrabbling was of no use.

"Oof," I said, as I strained and pushed the button on the door to unlock it and Ran simultaneously jumped into my lap, squashing my protesting stomach with her front paws as she showered kisses upon my face. The door flew open and Sango stared down at us blinking owlishly for a few moments — taking in the sight of my tangled limbs, disheveled hair, the general mess of my _genkan_, and the effervescent "puppy" jumping on top of me with wild abandon — before she burst out laughing and sagged against the doorframe.

"Oh, if only I had a camera," she wheezed, arms wrapped around her ribcage as she shook violently under a fresh onslaught of laughter. "It's nice to see you're falling over yourself in your excitement to see me."

"Oh," I made a show of wincing, "horrible pun — how about a hand?" I squinted up at her, trying to shove Ran off of me.

"Sure, sure," she giggled, grabbing her collar and dragging her back into the entryway of the house so I could pick myself up off the floor. I straightened my clothes, brushed off my backside and ran a hand through my hair.

"So," I smiled, gesturing at the door, "shall we?" She agreed with a face-splitting grin and we scurried out the door, shutting it in an excited Ran's face. "Poor baby," I cooed, "but we can't exactly take you to a dress fitting. Mommy'll make it up to you I pwomis-"

"Geez, listen to you," Sango snickered, "using baby-talk to a dog. Dork."

"Oh like you don't," I bumped shoulders with her playfully as we made our way down the stairs. "So, first stop?"

"NK108 in Ginza," she pursed her lips thoughtfully, "I _still_ have to decide on the dress."

"What?" I yelped, "Sango, I thought you said like, two weeks ago that you'd picked out the dress alread-"

"I _know,_ I know," she waved a hand irritably, "there was a last minute, uh, increase in funds, so I canceled the orders. On my dress." She paused and glanced at me sheepishly, "And yours." I opened my mouth to bark something but she clamped a firm hand over it, slinging her other arm around my shoulder as she continued in a rush, "That's why you're coming today. I need to decide all over again and honestly, my mother — bless her — is no help at all, she just gushes and gets all weepy no matter what I wear. I need a _critical_ eye."

"And that's where I come in?" I laughed. "Because I'm just ooooh so critical."

"Oh please Kags, we both know who it was that told me to never wear that camel colored balloon dress ever again. You know the one with the black lace tri-"

"Oh gawd, that monstrosity, don't remind me! It made you all washed out like a-"

"A zombie," she finished, jabbing me in the ribs with her elbow. "Yes, I remember. You were quite adamant _and_ very **right**, so no use denying ducky. You are stuck! Plus we have to get you fitted for your dress, too, you know."

"Oh goody," I intoned dryly. "Cause I just _love_ getting poked and prodded with needles and ice cold fingers."

"No, but you _do_ love playing dress up so humor me," she stuck out her tongue as she climbed into the driver's side of her car and I opened my door and scurried inside, excited despite my complaining. I was only teasing and she knew it.

" " " " " " "

"Ooooh," Kagome gushed, eyes sparkling. "Now _that_ is gorgeous!"

"Really?" I asked, heart fluttering nervously as I twirled in front of the multi-paneled mirror that showed my image from every angle. "You think it's better than the last one?"

"The last one was beautiful," she pursed her lips thoughtfully, chin in her hand as the gears visibly whirled in her skull. "The sleeves were elegant and all the lace and ruffling made you look like a princess — which who doesn't want _that_ and personally-"

"Kags," I laughed, rolling my eyes at her. "Your verdict?"

"Well this," she grinned, winking devilishly at me as she got up from one of the many plush chairs scattered around the fitting area and came to hold a bit of the satiny fabric in her small hand, "this makes you look like a _goddess_."

I felt the color rise to my cheeks as I asked quietly, having secretly been leaning towards this dress, "Really?"

It was simple and elegant but accentuated and flattered every natural curve, highlighting my slim muscular arms and shoulders and the hourglass figure of my bust, waist, and hips. The trail was long, with a simple double line of satin buttons running down the middle from the top of the low-slung back all the way to the hem at the end. A delicate band of pearls and diamonds adorned the top of the heart shaped bodice that framed my chest in a way that it made me look voluptuous.

"Take the beading here, for example," she pointed at the sparkling pieces, eyes appraising, "tasteful. Whimsical — it makes me think of fairy lights. The shape of the bust is also highly complimentary and makes you like absolutely mouth-watering — and the shimmering of the sparklies? It draws the eye even more without _distracting_. Which is what you want." She took a slow walk-around. "It hits at a lovely part on your back: revealing but not _too much_; it also falls over your bum in a very flattering way: leaving little to the imagination yet remaining classy. The way it hugs your waist makes you look like a pin-up and quite honestly, if Miroku manages to control himself and is able to resist throwing you over his shoulder and taking you off into the night to ravage you in unimaginable ways the minute you walk onto the aisle then I will be pleasantly surprised."

_Okay,_ I thought, _that was…uh…Oh ga- My cheeks have got to be as red as a cranberry. _

"Hmm," she continued, eyes dancing with mischief, "Ya, I think you should definitely go with this one."

"Fine," I squeaked, and waved the lady over to make the final arrangement so I could get out of this dress and stop thinking about all the things her words had inspired.

"Need a cold shower Sango," Kagome asked wickedly.

"Oh shut it, Kags!"

" * " * " * " * " " "

It had been a week and five days. Somewhere around 286 hours…so somewhere around 17, 160 minutes since I jumped off a cliff, plunged into oblivion and ended up going down the path of _no return._ And believe me, there would be _no return_ from what I had done.

I had kissed her. Completely sober.

When women had offered to buy me a drink that night, I'd turned them down, getting them one instead, knowing that I may not be able to trust myself around _her_ if there was even a single drop in me. Yet without it, I had still stumbled and messed up irrevocably.

The whole experience bordered on surreal in my memory, haunting and disconcerting. It was unsettling, to put it blandly.

It had been a long time — so long that I had a hard time remembering when exactly the last time had been — since I had felt jealous over a woman, yet there was no denying that jealousy was one of the emotions that had bubbled up in my chest when I saw her and that _man_ about to kiss. I had also felt strangely possessive. And if the way my pulse had raced at her challenging, heated retorts and the fire in her eyes — if that was any sign at all: she excited me. More than anyone had in a long time. She was a challenge and it had been far too long since I'd been challenged. That might have been acceptable, but unfortunately after the verbal and physical tango that we had participated in almost two weeks ago, I could no longer claim that I was only attracted to her because of her physical attributes or the challenge she presented. In fact, not only was I _disastrously_ attracted to the women — no simple, passing attraction could account for the raw passion she inspired — but it was also clear that I _liked_ the women on some level that I couldn't yet comprehend.

I mean obviously I liked her on a level different from a friendly, platonic one. It's not like I went around locking lips with every female friend of mine. Nor did my female friends inspire feelings of jealousy. I simply knew that for whatever reason, and in whatever way, I liked the she-devil.

I didn't have a _clue_ what I was going to do about it.

I dropped my head into my hands with an irritated huff for what seemed like the millionth time that week. And it was only Wednesday.

As I sat in front of my computer screen, the little vertical line marking my place on the Excel document flashing regularly, shoulders slouched, I was completely unaware of the bemused smile that pulled at my father's expressive lips.

! $ $ ! ! $ $ ! ! $ $ !

"So," Sango started cheerfully as we approached our next destination: a little bridal boutique a friend from work had recommended, "since we are having the wedding at Cardinal Sabatini di Firenze, I've decided to go with a rich red, cream, and little bits of fresh green for the wedding colors. It seems like the best complimentary colors for the décor already in place and I'm particularly fond of dark red."

"Sounds good," I smiled, threading my arm through hers as we marched through the front doors. "At least you are being kind to your single bridesmaid," I giggled. "You aren't making me wear canary yellow or mauve or pea-soup green."

"Ee-gads," she grimaced. "Eew. Kags, where do you—" she stopped, her head whipping so fast to the side I was sure she'd just given herself whiplash, "Oh! Now that's nice!"

"Nice," didn't really do the dress justice, if you asked me. It was a lovely rich red satin, strapless, with the material criss-crossing in perfectly formed swaths across the bodice, while the rest of it fell to the floor in a dramatic train. It was lovely.

"Oh," she cooed, already having snatched it up and moved onto the next rack of colorful dresses. Sango loved shopping and did it with an energy that left less-enthused shoppers panting.

Fortunately, Sango is my shopping soul mate. Especially when shoes are involved.

Don't get me started.

"What about this one? It's pretty, don't you think? What color of red would you say it is? It reminds me of a poinsettia!"

"Like Christmas," I laughed.

"Wouldn't Sesshoumaru like to unwrap you if you wore thi—"

"That color is called Venetian Red," a clerk quickly interrupted, blushing a light pink to my fire engine red. "It would be a very flattering color with your skin tone and your dark hair," she added, smiling tightly.

Sango coughed and tried to pretend she hadn't just said that all loudly enough for everyone in the store to hear. "I agree! We'd like to try that one as well!"

"Of course, miss, right this way," I followed the stiff-shouldered clerk to the back where the dressing room sign shone brightly. Passing a young woman and her daughter who were waiting for someone I didn't miss the whispered conversation between them as I walked by.

"Mom," the girl gasped, eyes wide and sparking with interest, "isn't that Sesshoumaru Taisho's mistress?"

"Who," the stately woman asked, eyebrows rising in alarm.

"You know, the one we're always seeing on the tabloids and in the gossip column."

"Oh, oh, why yes I think it is!" she hissed, sounding more and more delighted by the minute. I tried not to giggle as I was ushered into a room and started wriggling out of my clothes.

The articles had continued since the trial but I had quickly grown as accustomed to them as one could. Some of the photos they had gotten of Sesshoumaru and I kissing outside my door had of course inspired us to keep our more passionate kissing behind doors where we were more likely to have privacy. But other than that, well, it caused a few ruffling of feathers at work, but honestly, the parents that had been at the "witch-hunt" meeting as I liked to call it, had already assumed he'd — how did they put it? — 'marked me'. In a territorial sense, I guess? The whole _youkai_ system was very odd and archaic to me and I didn't really dwell on it for very long. All I knew was that they hadn't been surprised at all by our relationship because of what had happened at that meeting.

I pulled on the first dress, which fit snug-as-a-glove, and stepped out to stand in front of the mirror where Sango was waiting.

We blinked at the image in the mirror for a minute before we both burst out laughing. Sango leaned heavily against the wall as she tried to catch her breath, "Oh my go-"

"Bwahaha," I said unintelligibly. "Wha-? Why?"

"How?" she agreed, cackling.

"Weird!" I giggled, running my hand over the satin around my stomach and hips.

"Bizarre," she snorted.

"Ladies," the clerk nearly cried, rushing over to us looking highly alarmed. No doubt we looked like a bunch of hooting loons on laughing gas. "What is wrong?"

"I'm sorry," Sango gasped, waving a hand in front of her face. "Ah! Can't brea-"

"The dress," I wheezed. "It, it-"

"I don't understand," she frowned, "there isn't anything wrong with the dress. It even fits you very nicely. You look-"

"It's an optical illusion!" Sango gurgled, pointing at my stomach.

"I look like I'm pregnant," I giggled, poking the material with a finger, knowing that there would be no flab under the cloth. I was fit and trim, but the shimmering satin in its patterned folds somehow reflected the light in such a way that, right around my stomach, it gave it a _round_ 3-D appearance that made me look like I had the beginning pooch of a newly pregnant woman.

No, there was nothing wrong with the dress per se. It was lovely. But it had a single flaw that made it very…laughable…and quite frankly undesirable.

The woman looked horrified by my proclamation, but as Sango and I pointed to the area in question she blanched slightly, "Oh. Well."

"Quick, go put on the other one!" Sango barked, wiping tears off her face.

As I hiked up my skirts and ran to do just that, I couldn't help but wonder if we were the most rambunctious clients they'd had all day. Maybe even all week.

"_Much_ better," Sango sighed happily, "no illusions to be seen!"

"Hmm," I murmured thoughtfully, doing a slow twirl in front of the mirror. "Whaddya think? Is it everything you _dreamed_?"

"Yes," she snickered, "I like the color and it'll go great with a bouquet of red roses and the best part is since it's not floor length…" She paused for dramatic effect and we finished with a knowing look at each other, grinning wickedly, "It's not a one-time wear!"

"Yup," she chirped, "this is it! If you like it, this is the one that I want to get."

"I wuvz it," I twirled wildly and tripped myself. The clerk caught me with an exasperated huff and I apologized, appropriately shame-faced while Sango simply snickered at my plight.

Such is the life of a clumsy person.

/ \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \

Ayame called from outside the office, voice less-stressed than usual, "Sesshoumaru-sama, there's a phone call for you — from Ms. Takahashi."

Eyebrow raised in interest I pushed save for the documents on my computer and said, "Put her through, Ayame, thank you."

"Sango, to what do I owe the pleasure," I smiled, leaning back in my chair.

"First, thank you so much again for your wedding present. Thanks to you I was able to get the most incredible dress but anyway, you probably don't want to hear about that so I'll just cut to the chase," she babbled excitedly.

_Hyper, are we_, I thought with a smirk. "I'm just glad you finally agreed," I chuckled, "but why do I think this isn't the real reason you called?"

"Well, I have a proposition. I know that Roku and I can't even _begin_ to repay you for the gif-"

"And you don't _need_ to," I sighed, rolling my eyes. Really, they were as bad as Kagome. At least I'd never have to worry about them only liking my company because of the things I could give them. _Pigs will sprout wings and fly sooner_, I thought with a mental snort.

"Says you," she laughed, "and that's besides the point. The thing is Roku and I have a friend that works at this gorgeous hot spring _ryoukan_ up in the National Park near Nikko and she offered to give us a suite for a weekend, everything included, for a reduced fee."

"That was nice of her," I commented conversationally, my mind failing to find any logical connection between this announcement and anything else she'd said so far.

"Yes," she waved it aside, "and so I was thinking. The suites at this place are _huge_. They've got multiple rooms and _so_, what would you say to a trip there, this weekend. With the three of us?"

"The three of us?" I said dumbly, still trying to catch up to the part where she was inviting me on a trip to a hot spring hotel.

"Duh," she laughed and I could just imagine her rolling her eyes in exasperation, "Miroku, Kagome, and I — who else?"

"Of course," I murmured, still feeling a bit sluggish. I realized with a start that I'd never had adult friends — in other words, not family — call me to invite me on a trip. It was rather odd. And completely novel.

And made a little corner of my stomach feel all warm and fuzzy.

_How embarrassing_.

"Rin is more than welcome of course, but I thought it might be fun to have a trip with just the four of us. Get to know each other better and stuff. We'd treat you of course and we can take Roku's car — leave early Saturday morning. What do you think?" she finished in an excited rush.

I sat there in stunned silence, still strangely touched by the offer. "Well, I…"

"I realize I'm springing this on you last minute," she quickly added, "but my friend just called me about it last night and since it's gotten cooler fairly early this year, the leaves in Nikko are right at the peak in the color change and so-"

"I'd love to go," I quickly cut her off, finally finding the ability to speak coherently.

"Oh," she said, "Oh good! Great!"

"Thank you, it sounds like a lot of fun," I smiled broadly, quickly sitting forward and scrambling through the various files and notes on my desk — turning order into a pile of chaos in a matter of seconds.

"It'll be great, I think you'll really like this place. It's not modern at all," she chirped happily and then squeaked, "Not to say that you don't like modern! Oh, you know what I mean," she chuckled.

"You mean it's old, like me?" I deadpanned and she giggled nervously.

"I would _never_," she declared.

"Hn."

" " " " " " " " "

"So do you want to bring Rin with or…?" I asked, twirling the phone cord around my finger, more than happy to change the subject.

"No, I will see if my Father would like to spend some quality time with his granddaughter. I believe they are in the middle of hatching their next scheme as it is, I'm sure the opportunity will be happily embraced," he stated matter-of-factly and I couldn't help but blink stupidly.

"Hatching their _next_ scheme?" I squeaked.

"Yes, I think my brother is the hapless target this time," he said, his tone dripping with boredom as if this was normal. For a six-year-old and her grandfather.

_What bunch of deviants has Kagome gotten herself tangled up in, dear Lord?_

"So this Saturday will work for you," I asked again, wanting to make sure.

"Yes, it should be no problem rearranging my schedule. It'll be nice to enjoy a weekend in the mountains," he purred and I chuckled, thinking of Kagome's impending reaction when she found out that I'd invited Sesshoumaru along.

"Good, well then, see you bright and early Saturday! We'll be there to pick you up, say 6:45?"

"Who's waking the dragon?" he asked and it took me a moment to realize whom he was talking about.

I burst out laughing, and smacked the top of my desk with my hand, startling several people in the office, "Dragon? That's a new one. I'll be St. George on Saturday — how's that sound? Unless you'd like to do the honors?"

"You've more experience," he chuckled.

"So I do," I snickered, "but I rather think she enjoys being woken up by you _much_ better."

" * " * " * " * " * " * " " "

I was waiting in the small boardroom with its floor to ceiling windows looking out over the Tokyo night-scene when I heard the familiar click of the door opening and turned with a pleasant smile expecting to find Taisho.

My smile quickly fell into a murderous scowl as, instead of Taisho, I found the nefarious, unspeakable _man_ that had been haunting me day in and day out since the second act of the apocalypse had taken place. For thirteen days he'd been stomping unbidden through my orderly thoughts, throwing everything into disheveled disarray.

To say I was angry with him was a serious underestimation of the fury I held coiled up, red hot and voracious, just for him.

And I'd only been keeping track, because of how _angry_ I was about that night. Not because I'd liked it.

At all.

_Really_.

It hadn't been swoon-worthy in its masculine, amazingly skilled execution.

Not one bit…

Another part of me, a part that I resolutely refused to acknowledge — willingly at least — caused a wanton heat to pool rebelliously in my stomach, while nervous butterflies took fragile flight, wings petal soft as I took in the sight of him in his tailored black suit.

There was no denying — as much as I may have wanted to — that I was violently attracted to him. Even my attraction to and interest in Yusuke from that night paled in comparison.

Some might have suggested that I just surrender myself to the inevitable. Let myself be led by my obvious attraction; go for the bad boy who knew how to lay claim with his muscular arms and sensual lips that were able to pull pleasure from me like a skillful violinist pulls haunting notes from a-

I gave myself a mental shake as I stood, running a hand over my suit, smoothing out any wrinkles that may have occurred while I'd been sitting. There were none of course but it gave me some time to stall. Fortunately, he looked as surprised by my presence as I was by his.

I was not some slave to this attraction. I was not some mindless animal. I did _not_ have to act upon the attraction when I knew deep down that there was nothing more to it than that. I was not the kind of girl to settle for an empty relationship based purely on the physical — no matter how _incredible_ it had felt, or how _long_ it had been since I'd been in a steady relationship.

I was Kikyo Sagai. Strong, smart, sexy, confident lawyer. I would not be defeated by some accursed, invisible, pheromones!

"Kikyo," he said, and a shiver ran rampant up my spine making me curse mentally. _I might be strong_, I thought with a frustrated groan, _but it's going to be one up-hill battle. That much is obvious. Ugh_.

"I wasn't aware you'd be coming. I was expect-" I started, but he cut me off, setting his briefcase down on the table across from mine.

"My father, you were expecting my father," he said quietly, eyes thoughtful and intense as he watched me warily. I wondered briefly if I'd ever get used to seeing so much intelligence shining out of the same gold eyes that had always looked so dull. Now that the gig was up, he never played dumb around me, and it was a tribute really, to his skills as an actor. These days, if you tried to find a hint of the idiot that I'd known for what seemed like ages, you didn't stand a chance.

"He said something unexpected came up and sent me down here instead," he frowned and almost looked apologetic. I felt my tense shoulders relaxing, despite myself.

"Did he tell you what-"

"He said I needed to go over the last legal details concerning the release of the new product from Pentax, now that the merger is complete," he quickly answered.

"Yes," I said, trying not to feel thrown off balance by his rapid response. "Well then," I murmured, "let's get this over with, shall we?"

"Let's," he agreed and stood up with a decisive look crossing his handsome featu- _excuse me_, correction: his _perfectly normal, not the least bit exceptional _features.

I couldn't hide the surprise that made my eyes widen as my eyebrows rose to disappear behind my carefully arranged bangs. He came to stand mere inches in front of me, eyes so intense I felt like I was going to melt into a sizzling puddle of mush, artistic eyebrows pulled sharply together as he gazed down at me, arms crossed.

"Excuse me," I snapped — or at least I'd meant to snap, but it came out far too breathy to be labeled as anything close to snappy. I tried not to grimace at the way I sounded. "What are you doing, exactly? I thought we were going to get started."

"Oh," he intoned, a single eyebrow rose in question and for once I felt like I was the village idiot. I had no idea where he was going with all of this.

"Yes, I thought you agreed that we should get this over with promptly. I have another meeting I need to go to and-"

"I think there's something else we need to take care of before we can even contemplate finishing up our business here," he cut in smoothly, voice rich and warm as melted chocolate, bright eyes making his meaning suddenly oh-so-clear.

_Oh_, I thought numbly. _Uh, well_…

"Contrary to what you seem to think, I like to keep my personal and professional lives completely separate, Mr. Taisho," I snipped primly, desperately trying to appear unaffected by his words. Or his eyes.

_Damnable eyes._

"For the love of," he blurted, voice gruff and low, causing the hair at the nape of my neck to stand up straight, "Kikyo, you may be able to work with a big fat elephant looming in the corner — I don't doubt that you are perfectly capable. Someone with their emotions as tightly bound as yours usually are, is no doubt a master of compartmentalization and can therefore obstinately ignore it, but I am not, and have never claimed to be a master of ignoring the blasted elephant. So I'm afraid, that whether or not you like to keep professional and personal separate that is entirely impossible, as well as, inconvenient in this instance."

During his quiet, yet heated eruption he'd grasped the armrests of my chair, effectively caging me in, and bent towards me in such a manner that our noses were mere inches apart and his warm breath fanned my face. In a very distracting manner…

I blinked at him like a startled possum caught in the beam of a flashlight.

Several trains of thought went chugging through my mind as I stared at him. The first, _Dear Lord, why is he so close?_ The second, _Oh my go- he smells so __**good**_**. **_What __**is**__ that he's wearing?_ The third, _Has he been eating chocolate?_ Followed by the fourth train, now moving onto his _actual_ words — instead of his physical closeness, _Good grief that was an impressively long outburst. And the words he used!_ The last train that rattled and creaked loudly down the tracks of the exhausted, abused, and thoroughly rattled mass of grey goop that was now my brain — thanks to a certain white-haired, yellow-eyed male who was standing _far_ too close for my peace of mind — was, _So close, if I just leaned forward a __**little**__ bit then I could take those delicious lips and-_

_No, no, no, no, no! _I screamed at myself, firmly putting an end to that train with a big box of self-preservation dynamite, and resisted the urge to screw my eyes shut like a little child playing hide-and-seek. _If I can't see you, then you can't see me_. If only that logic really did work.

"Kikyo," he said and I realized with some horror that he must have called my name before, because he was starting to look worried.

"It's hardly my fault if you can't control yourself better, Mr. Taisho," I said, bristling at his repeated used of my first name. Hearing it roll off those lips as if it belonged there was having a dreadful effect on me. It was threatening to make the blood rush to my cheeks. Then again, maybe his nearness was to blame for that anatomical response.

"Dammit, Kikyo, would you stop being so stubborn, for just this onc-" he barked.

"A lot of good it did me last time, when you forced yourself on me, you big lout!" I snapped, startling the both of us with my heated retort.

"Ok," he blinked, before a satisfied smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Ok," he repeated, grabbing the seat next to mine, sitting in it and turning towards me before he moved forward till our knees were nearly touching. Elbows on his knees, hands clasped under his chin, he smiled encouragingly, "Now we're talking, that's good. But might I just say that I didn't exactly force myself — I mean you reciprocated quite-"

"I did not," I burst out, the lie as obvious as a flashing neon sign on an empty road at 2 a.m.

To my surprise, he burst out laughing, eyes sparkling with amusement. "Now _that's _an intense case of denial, if I've ever seen one! That's as bad as the time I told my brother," he paused, waving a hand in front of his face, "Never mind that's not the point. Kikyo, saying it doesn't make it so. Believe me, if it did, then I'd be denying this just as much as you are. I have been actually, but I've come to a realization."

"A realization?" I glowered at him, instantly wary. My fears only grew deeper as he reached forward to tuck a stray strand of hair behind my ear, and I shuddered — _not with pleasure, not with pleasure_, I chanted stubbornly — as his deft fingers grazed the sensitive shell of my ear.

"I'm attracted to you. Ridiculously so," he replied, voice growing husky and undeniably more masculine.

"So it's ridiculous to be attracted to me, I'm flattered," I retorted snarkily.

"Shut up," he said, but his lips twitched as he tried not to smile. "And you — yes you, whether you like it or not, whether you will verbally admit it or not — are attracted to me. We have something — a chemistry of sorts. Mix us together and it's simply volatile."

"I am no-" I started mulishly, but a finger on my lips had my breath leaving my lungs in an audible whoosh of air. Cheeks red as a cherry I stared stupidly at him, painfully aware of the teasing digit on my lips and his growing nearness as his molten gold eyes held mine prisoner.

"Kikyo," he purred and I felt my frantic heart jump in my chest, "your heart is racing, your blushing violently, you're flushed here," he ran a finger across the part of my collarbone peeking around the collar of my silk blouse and I felt a moan begging for release rising in my throat, "your pupils are dilated and if that all wasn't enough to tell me that you were attracted, I have other means at my disposal."

I couldn't even understand what he meant. _Other means_, I thought dumbly, _what __**other**__ mea- Oh my go- Oh, oh, how embarrassing!_ Never before had I wanted to be a victim of spontaneous combustion more than then.

"I'm drawn to you, completely affected, but more than that, I think I may actually _like_ you," he continued, completely oblivious to or just tactfully ignoring my embarrassment.

"And so, to clear the air-"

"Wait, wait, excuse me," I interrupted, finally catching up to the conversation at hand. "You think you may 'actually _like_ me,' did you say?"

"Yes," he looked rueful and I couldn't help but growl.

"What do you mean, 'may actually _like_ me'? What's not to _like_? I'll have you know that there are a lot of eligible, highly attractive men who would leap at a chance to get with this," I gestured at myself for emphasis.

Again, his lips twitched and he looked like he was resisting the urge to laugh and I found myself wanting to smack him. How dare he! I knew my worth! As if someone like him could talk about liking me as if it would be some pitying act on his part – the nerve!

"I'm well aware," he finally said, voice soothing, and then I suddenly found my face being grasped in his hands. Hands that I was becoming far too familiar with. "I'm also well-aware — unlike those men — of some of your quirks and some of the things that could even be considered flaws."

"Like what?" I challenged, shaking my head, freeing myself from his grasp.

He chuckled and shrugged, "For one, you are a germ-o-phobe. You insist on wiping all the dishes and silverware down, even at the finest restaurants. You can't _stand_ disorder of any kind and will even go so far as rearranging other people desks."

"I most certainly do no-"

"You just straightened that pencil on the table," he interrupted, victoriously, pointing at the damning evidence in question. "See, perfectly parallel with the edge of the table. You don't even realize you do it — it's compulsive with you."

"So I like to be neat, is that such a crime?"

"You have an entire range of semi-expressions," he continued, ignoring my question. "You've made it into an art form. With the barest movement of your lips you can express a range of emotions from pleasantly polite to deeply displeased."

"Nice alliteration," I snapped.

"Why thank you," he quipped, completely unperturbed. "You're record-breaking _stubborn_. You can't _stand_ people who are below your intellectual level and slow you down, you don't tend to be overly friendly-"

"You make me sound like a total bitch," I snapped.

"You can be," he laughed, suddenly leaning back in his chair and running a hand through his hair. The sudden lack of closeness was enough to make me almost dizzy. "But you're more than that. You are smart, quick, graceful — you _can _smile and when you actually let yourself, it's stunning, you have a beautiful laugh but I've rarely heard it, and I have a feeling that beneath that carefully crafted exterior of icy calm that you've created for yourself is a very passionate, warm individual. Your job after all requires you to have the ultimate poker-face; you need to be sharp and prickly enough that your opponents don't get through your defenses and cost you the victory — am I right?"

He looked at me expectantly but I couldn't have spoken even if I'd wanted to.

How had the Neanderthal read me so well?

"Look, I like you, okay? I'm not saying that there isn't any reason for me to like you — that's not what I meant. What I was trying — rather clumsily — to say was that I don't know how this happened, or why, or when it all started, but for what it is, I like you. And I'd like to get to know you better. Without all the hostility and the garbage from the past. I was a tool, but you were just so much fun to _tease_ and I wanted to get you to lighten up. But, seeing you with whats-his-name the other night-"

"Yusuke," I supplied automatically, suddenly able to find my voice. Heaven knows why.

"Whatever," he grumbled, brows furrowing for a moment before he continued, "Seeing you with him, laughing and smiling and flirting, it made me realize what an idiotic ass I'd been. My method of teasing was the worst way possible to get you to lighten up, and only made you angry and frustrated and made work more difficult for you."

"Moron," I muttered.

"Yes, yes, I was," he sighed, suddenly leaning forward again, invading my personal bubble. "And what I'm saying is, I'd like to _try _to make it up to you. And I'd like to start over — no games, no lies."

"I don't believe in second chances," I sniffed, glaring at him, desperately trying to ignore the excited fluttering in my stomach or the way my heart felt like it was going to skip happily out of my chest and go bounding down the hall singing stupid love songs.

He ignored me and continued determinedly, "Kikyo Sagai, I'd like to take you out on a date. Tomorrow night."

"Don't think that just because you're used to getting what you want that you can just stake a claim and make it yours," I huffed.

"Believe me, I know that," he laughed, growing closer. "You are the most stubborn woman I've ever met."

"I can't say I'm surprised," I rolled my eyes.

"I can't say I don't like it," he waggled his eyebrows suggestively and I scoffed.

"You are-"

"Undeniably handsome," he smirked, our noses touching. I inhaled sharply and a shark-like glint lit his eyes. "One date, that's all I ask."

_In your dreams_, I thought. "One date?" I asked.

_What? No, no, nonononononooo…_

"One date," he smiled, "this Friday. Tomorrow night."

"No," I said. _Ha! Take that, you pompous arse!_

"Why not?" he looked surprised, perfect brows pulling together in confusion. He'd obviously thought I'd caved. I'd show him!

"I'm busy," I replied.

"Saturday, then?"

"Have a case that'll take all day," I said, smiling, tasting victory.

"You love making things difficult don't you," he grinned, canines glinting predatorily. _How come he looks like he's about to win?_ I thought curiously. _Fool_.

"How about Sunday at seven o'clock," I asked obligingly.

He smirked wolfishly and I stared at him in abject shock.

_What the *#$*#$?_

! $ $ ! ! $ $ ! ! $ $ !

An unholy cacophony sounded next to my ear and I groaned, "Nooo…"

_Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!_

I pulled the pillow over my head and clamped it over my ears stubbornly.

_Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!_

"Die," I growled, flinging a single arm out and smiling sleepily from my haven under the pillow as I heard the satisfying crash that signified the death of my alarm. _Sleep, mmmm…._

"_Breakin' it off and settin' it off in the real way, makin' the girls them chill their mind, makin' them have a good time_," Sean Paul declared from my phone — on the other side of my bed. Out of arm-reach.

"Blast," I mumbled, lifting up the edge of the pillow to stare at the offensive device. I glanced at the clock on the wall and saw that it was only 6:30… _A.M.!_

"What the—"

Rihanna cut in loudly, "_Break it off boy this has got me feeling naughty, I wanna know boy if I could be your shorty! Set it off boy, make me hot all over my body — break it off tonight!"_

"I am so _not_ feelin' naughty," I grumbled, as I crawled across the bed like a clumsy lizard, limbs tangled as per usual in my sheets. "Sleep. Why? Why are you _on_?" I growled, slapping the device, fingers scrambling on the slick surface as I tried to bring it to my face. Peering at it through heavy lids that refused to open completely, I tried to get my drugged brain to put together an explanation for the ungodly hour at which I had not one, but **two** alarms going off.

Sean Paul added his two cents as I tried to find the right button to cancel the alarm, "_Struggle and pain wha she fell all da while and she want a good man to give her da style — wild child, so she dere pon me file!"_

_What does that even mean really? She dere pon me file? Is that even Engli_-

"Ah," I sighed happily, flopping back onto the bed face first. "Silence."

"_I like where we are, when we drive in your car. I like where we are…Here!_" Hellogoodbye sang out sweetly, a true juxtaposition to the murderous thoughts that scrambled through my head at the new interruption.

"_Cause our lips can touch, and our cheeks can brush — our lips can—!_"

I snatched up the phone making the song cut short and growled into the phone in the most threatening voice I could muster, "Red-rum, red-rum."

"Good morning to you, too, Kagome, " said a smooth, masculine voice with a hint of amusement in its rich tones.

"Eep!"

≈Ω≈

**END CHAPTER**

**Author's Note:** NK108 is a real shop in Ginza. (^_^) Although, I've never been... If you go to their website there isn't really a dress like Sango's though. That was out of my head, sorry. The two dresses Kagome tried on though, I did find at a website that I'll post on my profile if you are curious — again not EXACT but close. And if you are curious I totally had to wear a dress with that same material crisscross pattern in red satin and it DID make everyone look like they had a tummy-pooch; it was hysterical.

_Genkan _— for those that may have forgotten — is the little area in a Japanese home that you step out of after you've taken off your shoes.

_Ryoukan_: just means basically traditional style Japanese hotel. I'll post the website of the place next chapter — loads of happy memories there for me! It'll be fun to write I think…

I can't think of anything else, but if you have _any_ questions, as always: fire away!

Hope it wasn't horrible (-_-;) Eep! Please have mercy~

And if you liked it all – please leave a review! I try to always write back and I love to hear what you think.

*hugs!

Bloodrain's Tears


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